Origins: Nightstar
by Miyu kuran
Summary: A retelling of the origins of Mar'i Grayson, other wise known as Nightstar. The story of how a princess became a vigilante of Gotham, how she lost her powers, how she regained them, and how she feel in love with the one man she wasn't supposed to. This is her story, her Epic, her life, her Origins. This is how she came be.
1. Zero Year 1

_Authors note:_**_ Bold Italics= Flashbacks_ **

_Italics=Author's note/Final notes_

**Chapter 1: Zero Year 1 **

The queen of Tamaran ran through the halls of the castle towards the throne room with a speed so great that even the naturally gifted Tamaranians found the speed above the norm. This was it. The time in all her life that Koriand'r had wished would never come...The Gordanians were attaking. The Tamaranian-Gordanian relationship over the last few years was slowly diminishing, but now it was completely broken. The Gordanians wanted Tamaran for their own, but they would not have her without a fight.

"Ryand'r!" The queen called out to her younger brother as she reached the throne room. "Ryand'r it is happening. Fetch Mar'i, we have no time to waste. " The prince of course obeyed his sister, and as quickly as he could removed his young niece from the bed she was sleeping in.

"Mother?" The sleepy eyed princess asked. "What is happening? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, my poor Starshine. Do not fret, everything will be fine I swear." Starfire said to the young girl. "Starshine, My love, you have to leave Tamaran."

Mar'i stared at her mother in disbelief, "I do not understand. Why am I to leave Tamaran?"

"Mar'i, It is no longer safe for you on Tamaran. The Gordanians are attacking lead by my sister, your aunt, Komand'r. If she knew an heir to the throne besides Ryand'r exsisted she wouldn't have that. She would kill you on spot." The young girl still looked confused, "Not only would she kill you for being another heir to the throne, she would have you killed for being half human, my Starshine, and I can not let this happen."

"So why send me away?" Mar'i asked, "Let us take her to battle together. I refuse to disgrace myself by running, let me face her like the warrior I am."

"I think not, you are far too young Mar'i. Eight years of age is not a lot of fighting experience. Besides I can work on protecting Tamaran knowing you are away and safe." Mar'i understood her mother's reasoning so with a heavy sigh she conceded.

"Where will you send me?"

"A Place where I know they will never touch you. You will go to Earth, to your father?" Koriand'r said handing a letter to the young girl.

"My father?"

"Yes."

"And when will I be able to return?" The young princess asked.

"My Starshine, I love you so very much, but I do not know. You will return to Tamaran when the X'hal sees fit." Her mother answered. "Do you understand, Mar'i?" The young girl only nodded her head. "Good, now when you get to Earth give that letter to your father. It will explain everything." Koriand'r kissed her daughter's forehead. "Now It's time for you to go. You will behave won't you, Mar'i?"

"I promise, Mother."

"Good girl, now. Ryand'r!" The queen called to her brother who had been standing there silently waiting for his sister to be finished, but before he could answer his sister's calls a force tore through the throne sending all three royals flying.

Mar'i stood up with ringing ears faintly aware of the small stream of blood flowing from a cut above her forehead. She could hardly register the screams and yelling coming from her mother and uncle, before she knew it her uncle took her up in his arms and flew her out of the throne. The young princess could only scream for her mother as they flew away from the shrinking sight of Tamaran's capital city.

* * *

"Be quiet!" A stern female voice said in a hush tone. "I think she's waking up."

"Good. I was scared, she was injured." Said a male voice.

"Surprisingly, she was not. Save for some cuts and scrapes. Where did you two find her again?" Asked the female voice losing it's harsh edge.

"Floating amongst space debris." Answered another male voice.

"What was a child doing there?" Said the female horrified.

"The question is why was a seemingly human child doing floating in the middle of space." The first male voice asked.

The woman scoffed, "Obviously she's not human if she can survive the vacuum of space, Hal."

"I swear she looks human."

"A lot of Alien species look human."

"Yeah, well whatever."

"Smooth, Jordan" The second male voice said with a chuckle. "Now that we have established that she is not human, any ideas what species she actually is?"

"I'm Tamaranian." Came a child's voice followed by a groan.

"Tamaranian? She doesn't look it." Commented, what the girl thought was Hal.

"Where am I?" Asked Mar'i. Looking around she could tell this wasn't her destination of earth.

"You're on Zamaron. I'm Carol, leader of the Star Sapphires who populate this planet. These two Green Lanterns found you amongst space debris, which I'm guessing is from your ship. Can you tell us who you are?"

"I'm Princess Mar'i of Tamaran, daughter of Queen Koriand'r, deliverer of Tamaran, first of her name." Mar'i recited perfectly.

Hal whistled, "A princess, huh? How many of those have you dealt with, John?"

"A few, probably more than normal people can say." He answered.

"Whatever, you two. " Carol turned back to the young girl. "Can you tell us what happened to you?"

**_ "Starshine, My love, you have to leave Tamaran."_**

**_"Good girl, now. Ryand'r!"_**

**_"Now, listen carefully, Mar'i. I've already set the proper coordinates to get you to Earth. If anything happens to the ship, hit the the eject button and fly to the closest planet. Once there try to see if you can get someone to take you as close to earth as possible before trying to fly there on your own." _**

**_"Hello?! Hello?! This Mar'i of Tamaran. My ship under attack. I need help!" There was no answer on the radio. "Please!" Still no answer. Once again her ship was hit with a barrage of lasers coming from the enemy ship. It was no use. So Mar'i did the only thing she could do. She hit the eject button, sending her flying from the ship seconds before it exploded. She would have flown to the closet planet if not for the hard metal piece of her ship from the explosion being set into the back of her head, knocking the princess unconscious. _**

"I had to leave Tamaran. My ship was attacked. I tried to eject before the ship exploded, but I was caught in it." She said

"That explains a lot."

"Her information makes sense. It has been confirmed the Tamaran was attacked by the Gordanians." Carol explained further. "But where were you planning to go, Princess? Tamaran doesn't have a lot allies that would keep it's princess, while the Gordanians are searching for her."

Mar'i smiled sadly, "Yes, that is true. My mother has been trying to improve our relations with other planets, but our history with them seems to be not forgotten."

"So where were you tying to go?" John pushed further.

**"Where will you send me?"**

**"A Place where I know they will never touch you. You will go to Earth, to your father."**

_**"Father?" **_

_**Mar'i opened the letter her mother slipped into her hand before she left. Inside was a letter, and a picture. The picture was of her mother and a man. A man with Mar'i's midnight black, the shape of her nose and her smile. This man, Mar'i knew was her father. This man with the symbol of what looked to be a blue bird on his chest. The only thing written on the back of the picture were the words Nightwing, and Blüdhaven. **_

"I was trying to get to Earth to my father," Mar'i pulled the Picture of her father, "I heard you said that you thought I was human, well you were half right. If you're from Earth then I want you aid in order to find him, my father. Do you know this man?" Mar'i showed her saviors the picture. The immediate reaction was hanging mouths from the two green lanterns.

"But that's-" Hal started.

"I know." John replied

"And he was with-"

"True."

"Then-"

"The only way to tell if she's really telling the truth is to bring her to him." John said as if a decision had been made.

"Alright, Princess. We'll take you to Earth, to you father."

_Final Notes:_

_Original word count:1445_

_Sorry, I know. It's short! More will be out soon This I swear! _

_Please Review/Like/follow _

_with love, _

_ Miyu K.~ June 14, 2014_


	2. Zero Year 2

_Authors note:_**_ Bold Italics= Flashbacks_**

_Italics=Author's note/Final notes_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Zero Year 2 **

Hal Jordan being the amazing Green Lantern was prepared for anything, but he was not prepared for the the child the princess turned into when she finally got comfortable around them. She was very talkative... Hal wasn't really sure what to make of it other than it was just more reinsurance that this girl was really the daughter of Nightwing. It was hard getting the girl to talk when they had found her, but now Hal couldn't shut her up even if he wanted to. She would tell him about Tamaran how she was always kept in the Palace how her mother always took care of anything and everything she needed. How her mother trained her in combat and other things. She would talk and talk and talk, and after two weeks abroad the ship with Hal on the way to Earth she finally ran out of things to say. It was as if the closer they got to his home that the quieter Mar'i got. Hal wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Mar'i, are you okay?" Hal asked, "You're quiet, and it's not that I'm not enjoying the silence, but it seems a little out of character." Mar'i said nothing only looking out the window of the ship. "Mar'i." He called again this time really worried.

"You know my father, don't you?" Her voice rang out the accusation without even looking away from the window, with such an icy tone to it that she again reminded him of a certain caped crusader, and his protégés. He thought the habit was something taught, but it seems to be hereditary as well. Hal didn't know when she figured out he knew her father, but he had prepared for this issue.

"I do." Hal confirmed.

"Tell me about him." She said this time looking him straight in the eye as if she could see them behind the mask.

_**"We have a small issue." John Stewart said to Carol Ferris and Hal jordan. **_

_**"And that would be?" Carol inquired. **_

_**"How exactly are we going to keep our promise to that little girl that we're going to take her Earth?" John answered. Two days ago they agreed to take Princess Mar'i of Tamaran to Earth to leave her in the care of her supposed father. **_

_**"I don't see the issue. Why don't you two just take her back. You know Nightwing well, don't you?" Carol said as if it were that simple. **_

_**"We do, but we still need to report back to Oa." Hal said. "We were on our way there when we found her, and we came here because it was the closet planet with people we knew. We still need to go to the guardians."**_

_**"Okay then," Carol said. "I'll take her. Whether we like it or not we agreed to take that child to Earth so it has to be one of us." **_

_**"Yeah, Carol, I know but you can't go either." Hal said.**_

_**Carol looked offended. "What! Why?" **_

_**"Batman isn't really friendly with new people(well, he really isn't friendly with people in general), and this news should be kept close to the family. I've known her father since he was a kid, and he's practically Batman's son. And if there is one thing The Batman is, it's overprotective of his family. Sending you, would be sending you to the den of wolves while covering you in pig's blood, and slapping an "EAT ME" sign to your back." Hal explained. "It needs to be either me or John, you can come with us, but it has to be one of us." **_

**"Okay, but we just established that you both need to be heading to Oa. Last I checked the guardians weren't very patient. " Carol said. **

**"Good now you see the issue." Said John. **

**"I don't understand why one of you just goes to Oa while the other comes with me to take Mar'i to Earth." The resounded slap that rang out in the room was from Hal slapping his own forehead. **

**"Why didn't we think of that?" he said, "Carol, you are genius." **

**"Thank you, I try. " Carol answered with a cheeky grin, "Now which one of you are going to take her." **

**"Hal" "John" Both said at the same time. **

**"Really." Carol sighed. **

**"He likes you better." Hal said to John **

**"Whatever, he's known you longer. He'll take this news better from you, Hal." John said in a smug voice. **

**"He has a point, Hal." carol said. **

**"No far, he just doesn't want to deal with him angry, and this is going to make him angry!" Hal almost shouted **

**"It's two against one, you're going." **

**"I didn't want to go see the stupid guardians anyway." Hal mumbled. "Okay, on to our other issue. " Hal said sobering up. "What do we tell Mar'i about her father?"**

**"Well, until we get a proper DNA test we won't for sure if she's even really his daughter." John pointed out. "If this turns out to be some elaborate plan from a villain, we could give away some very important information." **

**"But if we have to tell her something?" Carol asked**

**"So the bare minimum?" Hal asked **

**"The bare minimum." John agreed.**

"You're father is a very good man." Hal said. "One of the best people I've ever meet."

"Tell me more than that, Hal. I get that from the servants in the palace back on Tamaran. Tell me things like what he liked to do during his childhood, what accomplishments he's made in his life, who his parents are, or his name. I don't even know my own father name! The closest thing I have to a name is Nightwing. The same thing the whole world calls him."

"You're nervous to meet him." Hal concluded.

"I'm expected to stay with a person who I know nothing about indefinitely, and worse he knows nothing about me. I don't the planet, or the people. I'll have to learn a completely different culture. I don't know what my mother was thinking by sending me to Earth?" Mar'i sighed finally venting the things that had been weighing heavily in her mind since she had left Tamaran.

"Hey, Princess. Firstly, you will get to know him. You will learn his name, and what he liked to do as a kid. You will learn who his parents were, and everything else about him. You have to have a relationship with a person first before you know anything about them and sadly, Princess, you don't have one yet, but you will build one. A strong relationship. Secondly, Do you trust me?" He asked

"Of course." She answered with a doubt.

"When did you start to trust and like me?"

"I do not know. The day after I meet you, if I were to guess." Mar'i said.

"Do you trust Carol and John?"

"Yes."

"Mar'i, you knew us for a total of two days before you started to trust and began opening up to us. Heck, the two days you were on Zamaron you were trying to spar with the other Star Sapphires like you've known them you're whole life! You shouldn't be worried about learning the culture, and Nightwing will get to know you. In 12 hours after a very long two weeks stuck in this space ship, you will get to meet your father. Trust me when I say he's exactly like you dreamed your father will be. He won't disappoint you. "

"Okay." She still sounded unsure.

"If things don't work out with him, Carol's promise still stands. I'll take you back to Zamaron and you can stay there with her. " Hal said.

"Really?" Her whole face perked up as if the idea seemed to be the best option right now.

"Yup, if you feel uncomfortable on Earth, or with you father. I'll take you back to Zamaron, but only if you really try to get to know him."

"Okay, I'll try."

"That's all I ask." Hal said. The two quickly fell into silence before Mar'i broke it.

"Hal?"

"Yes?"

"Before I forget, I wanted to thank you, Hal Jordan. You are my first friends from Earth, I owe you my life."

"Kid, It's no problem. It's what I do, I'm glad I could help." Hal sighed slightly grateful that at the last minute Carol wasn't able to come because she would never let him live down the Kodiak moment he just had.

* * *

"Hey Hal, is that Earth? It's beautiful. Is it a tropical planet like Tamaran? or does it get cold? Ooo, if it gets cold does that means it snows? Have you ever seen snow before, Hal. What's Snow like, Hal? Is it cold? It doesn't get cold on Tamaran, did you know that? Can we go see snow first, Hal. Or can we see the ocean instead? I've never seen a body of water that filled with salt. Is the ocean really salt water, Hal? Have you seen the ocean, Hal? Is the ocean pretty? My mother said the ocean was pretty that's all she would ever talk about when she talked about her time on Earth. Hal, can it snow where there's an ocean? Because that would be cool. Hal, are you listening? Hal! Hal!"

"YES!" Hal yelled as Mar'i screamed his name in his hear.

"Were you even listening?" Mar'i asked

"Of course I was. I listen to everything you have to say, Princess."

"No you don't. You just nod every minute or so so that i'll think you're paying attention." Mar'i accused.

"I do not!"

"Prove it!"

"Fine." Hal said, "The answers to your questions in order are: Yes; No; Yes; Yes; Yes; Its like powdered ice; Yes; I did not know that; No, we have other things to do; Same verse same as the first; Yes; Yes, I have; I would like to think so; Yes it can, but only in the Arctic; I'm pretty sure it would be cool." Mar'i huffed as Hal gave her a grin, "See I was listening."

"Okay, how long till we get to Earth?"

"Ten minutes, before we actually go to Earth we need to go the Watch Tower so I can call your father and tell him to meet us in a few hours." Hal said messing with some of the controls on the ship. Are you excited?"

"A little." Mar'i admitted. "My mother only had good things to say about Earth the few times she talked about it."

"Wow, what happened to that girl who was scared of going to earth 12 hours ago."

"She's gone for the moment, but trust me she'll come back." Mar'i assured. "You said We'll meet my father in a few hours. Why a few hours? Why not now?"

"Well, I want to take you around Earth a little bit. Maybe take you shopping?" Hal said

"Shopping? " Mar'i asked. "What is that? We don't have this "shopping" on Tamaran."

"Oh, this is going to be fun."

And Hal did as he said. He took the young princess shopping. Bought her an outfit that didn't stick out so much, and as much as Hal hated shopping normally, with Mar'i he found that he enjoyed it. Her smile as she tried on clothes. Her frown when he made her buy tights and long sleeve shirts. Complaining that on Tamaran covering up so is pointless, and then watching her face light up when she tried on variations and variations of head bands. From simple headbands, to ones with large elaborate flowers, to ones with colorful bows. Mar'i made Hal buy at least twenty. Hal took Mar'i to all the places he could in the short time that they had, but sadly their time together had come to an end.

"Hal, We must go back to that wonderful place! The mall of shopping! So many wonderful things to purchase. Hal, we must return, but with John and Carol next time!" Mar'i chatted excitedly as they walked through the Halls of the Watch Tower. "I adore this 'headband' contraption, we have similar on Tamaran but not so fashionable! Hal, we must see one of those movies, you were telling me about, promise one day we'll go?"

"Promise. " Hal said with a nod. He then instructed Mar'i to stay in a room till he returned asking her to play with her new rabbit stuffed animal.

Hal sighed this was not going to be easy.

"Lantern." A gruff voice called out making Hal jump.

"Batman," The green lantern greeted.

"Hey Hal," Nightwing called from behind the caped crusader. Hal didn't even see him there.

"What is this about, Jordan? Why did I need to be called out of Gotham?"

"It's important, trust me." Hal gestured to the room next to the one he put Mar'i in and followed the two Gothamites inside.

"Now that we're in private tell us what you've found out about Nightwing, Hal." Batman ordered.

"How do you know it's about Nightwing?" Hal asked.

"You put a lot of stress on Nightwing being here when I talked to you. I'm sure he's even figured this out just because of his presence here."

Hal looked at the younger man in surprise, who only shrugged his shoulders in response. "Well then, I better get on with this." Hal said. "Nightwing, were you in a relationship with Starfire eight years ago?" Hal asked suddenly.

Nightwing thought for a minute, "Yes, that about right. I was with her a little after but that's time we were together, before we called it quits the first time."

"What's the point of this, Hal." Batman demanded.

"This." Hal flipped a switch revealing the double sided mirror looking into the room currently holding Mar'i. "John and I found her floating in space after her ship had been attacked. She is Princess Mar'i of Tamaran who ran away from Tamaran after the Gordanian attack, she also claims to be the daughter of Starfire and you, Nightwing."

"Holy Shit." Was the only thing that came out of the Nightwing's mouth.

"What proof do you have that she is who she says she is?" Batman asked a raised eyebrow.

"Other than her word, This letter from Starfire, addressed to you, Dick. In the letter was also a picture of you, further pushing my belief that she is really your kid." He handed Nightwing the letter. "It took a while to get that letter from her. She wouldn't even let me hold for a while. The only reason I have it now is because I promised her that I wouldn't read it."

"And did you?" Nightwing asked before opening the letter.

"No, I didn't." Hal answered, and with that Nightwing began to read the words of his former lover. "Believe it or not, Bats, I'm sure that girl is his daughter 100%."

"We won't be sure until a DNA test." He replied only studying the child in the other room.

"Trust me, I know we still have to do a Paternity test, but I spent two weeks alone on a ship with that kid, she's done some things that I've only seen Dick do as a kid." Hal said

"Like what?"

"We'll talk, I thought Dick had a mouth when he was a kid, but I think she's got you beat . Also reading body language, She knows when I'm lying it took me a whole two weeks to be able to convincingly lie to her. Before I even told her I knew a lot about you she figured it out long before she asked about you. She figured out that there were some issues getting her here, and that John couldn't come like we originally said. She so smart, I almost can't believe she that smart and the only child I knew that was intelligent like that was-"

"Me." Nightwing cut off finish reading the letter. "This is Kory's handwriting, alright. It says she apologizes for not telling me about our daughter, and that she leaves her in my hands now." Nightwing dropped the letter before sitting down in the chair next to him and resting his hands on his face. "I just can't believe she would have kept something like this from me. An eight year old? Really I was with Kory for a little bit 6 or 7 years ago, she had multiple time to tell me and she didn't. I don't understand why."

"We still need a paternity test." The dark knight said taking the letter from his former Protégé, and reading it. "Though right now we need to discuss what we're going to do with the girl. "

"If you don't want her, or the Paternity test comes out negative Carol said she will take her on Zamaron. Carol loves her, in fact all the Star Sapphires do. She would be happy there, just say the word and she'll be out of you hair."

"WHAT!" Nightwing shot up, "No. no, even if she's not mine, this girl is convinced she's my daughter, Kory gave her to me and she's my responsibility now." Nightwing gave a chuckle it wasn't one of his usual laughs of amusement more of one of self-pity. "Kory and I talked about children a lot. We said we name a boy, Ryand'r, and if it was a girl we would call her Mar'i, Mary in english, after my mother. At least Kory thought of me slightly when she decided to raise this child alone." Dick paused. " I'm going to go talk to her." Dick quickly exited the room to enter the other room. Giving one final glance at the glass, taking the image of his daughter in and went to go meet her.

Dick went into the room without even knocking and saw the girl playing with a stuffed rabbit that Hal must have gotten her. Dick also took time to notice she wore season appropriate clothing, most likely Hal's doing as well because Tamaranian's didn't get cold so they didn't wear tights or long sleeves. She almost looked like a normal human girl, except for the eyes. The same eyes that lured him to Kory. Other than the eyes Dick could say quite confidently she looked just like him. She had his nose, and the shape of his face. She had his hair, that dark color with a slight wave to it. There was no doubt in his mind if there ever was one. This girl is his daughter.

"Oh." She said looking at him. "You must be him, my father." She said. Her voice had a slight foreign tone to it similar to the one that Kory had.

"I am." He agreed. "and you are Mar'i, right?"

"I am." She said and after a slight pause spoke again, "Are you going to send me back to Zamaron?" She asked.

"No." He promised. "Your mother sent you to me, so with me you'll stay."

"Really?" She asked as if she almost couldn't believe it.

"Of course."

"And can we go see one of those movies Hal told me about?" She asked.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Nightwing grinned.

"And we see the ocean, and snow! I wanted to see snow since I was really little! Please take me please, please!"

"Sure one day soon I'll take you to the beach, and come winter you'll see more snow than you'll be able to handle." He answered a little taken back.

"I like you." She said making Nightwing beam. "I know next to nothing about you, but I like you a lot."

"Well what do you want to know about me." He gave his best smile to the little girl.

"Your real name would be a nice start." She said.

Nightwing paused slightly, "Dick." He answered finally, "Dick Grayson."

"Dick Grayson, huh? Grayson is that your surname." She asked. Saying surname like she didn't completely understand the concept. Nightwing nodded his head. "Mar'i Grayson. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"I do." He said, this time with a genuine smile, "Did you know on Earth our equivalent to the name Mar'i is Mary spelled M-A-R-Y. When we take you out with other people who don't know about Tamaran you will be called that."

"Oh, my mother mentioned something like that. Like when she went normally, and when she modeled here on Earth she had to do so under some other name, right?"

Nightwing nodded, "Yup, her name here on Earth was Kory Anders, everyone who knew her on Earth called her Kory plain and simple Kory."

"Really everyone? Only my uncle ever called her that." Mar'i said

"If you don't believe me you can ask your Uncle Jason." Nightwing replied.

"I have uncles here on Earth, too?" She asked some how amazed at the fact her father had other family.

"Yup, three in fact. Two, if you don't count the last one." Mar'i gave him a confused look, "The youngest one is only ten making him two years older than you, almost three his birthday is coming up soon. "

"Do I have any Aunts?" Mar'i asked.

"Like one and a half." Mar'i gave him another confused look. "Ok well the one you have is Cassandra, you'll meet her as soon as she comes back from Hong Kong, and the half is Stephanie, she's one of your uncle's girlfriend and I'm sure when he graduates high school he'll propose to her and probably marry her after he graduates college, but she's still around all the time. She's like your aunt that's not really your aunt yet. If that makes any sense." Even though Mar'i nodded Nightwing wasn't quite sure she understood. "So how is you uncle on Tamaran? Ryand'r isn't it? I never got to meet him."

Mar'i froze. she just stopped as she stared off into nothing. Nightwing was bout to as what was wrong when Green Lantern and Batman walked into the room breaking her out of the trance as quickly as she fell into it.

"HAL!" The young princess screamed as she ran to hug him.

"Hi princess. So do I have to take you back to Zamaron." He asked smiling as if he already knew the answer

"No, I think I will take my chances on Earth." She said. "Hal, you will come and visit me often, will you not?"

"Of course I will. I believe I still owe you a movie." He smiled as he patted the young girl's head. "Until next time, Princess."

"Goodbye, Hal Jordan. Until we meet again." She said

Dick would be lying to himself if wasn't slightly jealous at the connection his daughter and the Green Lantern had. He knew he would get there eventually but still it irked him that right now the young girl in front of him knew Hal better than she knew her own father and that wounded Dick deeply.

"Don't worry. " Hal said as if he would read Dick's mind. "I've been with that girl for a little over two weeks by the time I come back, she'll know you too, and love you more than she could ever love me. You're her father, don't forget that."

"I won't" Dick promised, and with a pat on his back and a wave to Batman Hal Jordan took his leave.

"Mar'i there's someone I'd like for you to meet. " Nightwing gestured to Batman, "This is Batman, he might as well be my father."

"I'm legally your father." Batman reminded.

"Oh yeah...You've got a lot of kids."

Batman only sighed in response.

"If your my father's father does that make you my grandfather?" Mar'i asked.

"In a way, yes."

"Oh well, you look like a Drach'tal." Mar'i said simply.

Nightwing could barely hold back a laugh with Batman's eyebrows crinkled in confusion.

"A Drach'tal is a creature in Tamaranian myth that drinks the blood of bad children in the night, very similar to our myths about bats." Nightwing explained through laughs.

"So why are you laughing?" The dark knight asked.

"Because that is the first thing Kory said about you when she saw you." And Nightwing fell into a fit of laughter.

Again Batman sighed, "What are you going to do now, Nightwing?"

Nightwing sobered up, and answered, "Take her to Blüdhaven, get her some more clothes and other necessities, go home, get her feed and into bed. After that I'm going to call Babs tell her the situation ask her for help with the legal papers and all, Then I'm am going to sleep, Batman, because I think this is all I can take in one day."

"Call me if you need anything."

"Don't I always?"

* * *

_Final notes- _

_Word count : 4312(wow, now that's too long!) _

_2nd chapter ready to rumble! Thanks for you guys support and to the people who have Liked/followed/reviewed this story already!_

_Please like/follow/review it brings me great joy and helps feed my muse!_

_With great love, _

_ Miyu k.~ _


	3. Zero Year 3

_**Bold Italics=Flashback **_

_Italics=Author's note/ Final Notes_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Zero Year 3**

_**"There's one more thing I should probably tell you about Mar'i, Batman." Hal Jordan said after Nightwing left the room. **_

_**"What?" **_

_**"She seems to have inherited another one of Nightwing's traits. His nightmares." Hal said gravely.**_

_**"Nightmares?" The caped crusader asked.**_

_**"I don't know what they're about, she wouldn't tell me, but I do know one thing. What that girl saw on Tamaran must have been truly horrifying." **_

Dick Grayson awoke to the sound of screaming coming from the other bedroom. He quickly shot up from his bed and ran to the room of his sleeping daughter. This was the seventh night in a row. Nightmares, she had been having them since her first night with him, and Dick was at a completely lost. He tried asking her about them, but he should have known how much that would help. When he saw his parents fall he didn't want to talk about his nightmares either. It was only when Bruce revealed that he still had his nightmares about his parents that Dick finally opened up. Dick tried to do the same thing, but it didn't have the same effect. With him Bruce knew what his nightmares were about even before Dick told him, but Dick didn't know what Mar'i's nightmares were about it. It didn't help that she refused to tell him. She was stubborn, A trait Dick wished she didn't pick up from her mother because he wanted nothing more than to stop what ever was troubling his daughter, and get a good night's sleep.

"Mar'i, Wake up. It's only a nightmare. It isn't real!" Dick shook the young girl awake. "Mar'i!" Finally the young girl opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you again?" Mar'i asked rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Yes, you did. Not that I mind, Mar'i, I'm just worried is all." They have been going through this same routine every night. "Will you tell me what your nightmare was about?" he always asked.

And every single time he got the same answer. "No." Dick sighed knowing he couldn't push her on the subject.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed for the rest of the night?" Dick asked.

And every time she answered, "Yes."

With another sigh the father picked his daughter and carried her off to his bedroom. Hopefully they should catch a few more hours of sleep, and in the morning Dick knew he was going to have to make a call.

* * *

Mar'i sat in the living room watch the television as she heard her father on the phone in the other room. The past week, she would say she has been enjoying Blüdhaven. She loved spending the days with her father till he had to patrol at night. She always waited up for him, but usually that was more fore herself than him. The Nightmares were getting worse. At first she could ignore them. When Hal inquired as to why she was tossing and turning at night she just wrote it off as a bad dream she couldn't even be bothered with remembering, but the longer they stayed together Hal began to notice that the nightmares got worse. She was grateful that he tried his best not to mention them, but it seems she would not be getting this luxury with her father.

"Come on, Mar'i." Her father said when he got off the phone. "We're taking a little trip."

"To where?" Mar'i inquired

"To Gotham, It's time you meet our family." If Mar'i wasn't going to open up to him, maybe she would open up to one of them.

After the the long 3 hour drive to gotham, the two Graysons found themselves pulling up to the Wayne Manor.

"Ah, Master Dick. Master Bruce did tell me you were to be arriving for lunch, and this is your plus one I see." A british man said after opening the door for them,

"Hey Alfred," Dick greeted, "This is Mary. Say hi, Mary."

"How do you do, sir." The young princess greeted properly.

"I am well, Miss Mary. Now I do believe she has more manners than you did, Master Dick." Alfred teased slightly, as he let the two into the manor.

"Oh come on, Alfred, I was good kid."

"Yes you were, Richard, but I do recall we having to teach you not to call women, "Hey Lady." Instead of inquiring their name."

"That was one time." Dick protested.

"And what of the time you spilled your beverage on some poor gentlemen and instead of apologizing you hid underneath the refreashments table and ended up tipping the whole thing over."

"..." Dick stayed quiet.

Round one: 1 Alfred- 0 Dick.

When Dick finally came up with a retort he was cut off by the sound of light giggling floating in the air.

"I'm sorry, Miss Mary. It seems I have behaved in ways that are not decorum."

"It's no problem." Mary said in between giggles "I find the humor refreshing." She laughed this time slightly louder, "You have a certain wit about you, don't you Alfred?"

"I would like to think so, Miss." Alfred bowed after excusing himself to continue his chores. Leaving only Mary's father to show her around.

"And this is the kitchen. Though really only Alfred uses it, because the rest of us can't cook." Dick said.

"Hey! I resent that!" Came a voice. Walking into the kitchen was none other than Stephanie Brown golden hair saying behind and a grin present on her lips, "I can make waffles." She defended.

"It's good to see you too, Steph." Dick greeted knowing that was the closest thing he was going to get to one.

"Oh, Is this her? Wow, Dick, she's pretty." Stephanie complimented. "Hello, I'm Stephanie." She said to the child.

"I'm Mary, it's a pleasure to meet you," Mar'i said genuinely

"How proper of her. Don't worry we'll get that out of you soon enough," Dick protested to that statement but Stephanie choose to ignore it and went onto a new subject. "You know you are really pretty, prettier than that security footage we saw of you that we hacked. Bruce wouldn't tell us anything. He was always like, "Why don't you go to Blüdhaven and seen her for yourselves", and blah, blah, blah. Gosh, that man can keep a secret. Well, he is Batman, but you get what I'm saying. If I had time to drive the three hours to Blüdhaven I would, but college classes and the whole shebang."

Before Mar'i could even thank Stephanie for the compliment, Dick was fuming. "Is that why you guys didn't sound surprised when I called you about Mary three days ago!" Stephanie being the master of these types of situations handled it with the grace and poise she always possessed.

"I DIDN'T DO IT! TAKING MARY! BYE!" She grabbed the poor young girl's hand and dragged her away from the kitchen stopping at the foot of the stairs.

At this point Mary was frazzled. Her first thought of the blonde was... Well, she sure was animated. Stephanie was a character alright, but what Mar'i did not know was that compared to some of the others Stephanie was tame.

"Alright looks like I'll be giving the rest of this tour. " Stephanie announced. "You did see all all of down stairs, right?" Mar'i nodded. "Great, because it's time to play a little game I like to call, 'let's avoid Dick for a while.' So, I'll show you around upstairs while your dad cools off down here. We'll start at the Master, then work our way down to my room. Sound cool?" She asked. Again Mar'i only nodded. Stephanie smiled at her. "You're going to have to talk to me eventually. I can't hold a conversation by myself, and trust me I've tried." At this Mar'i cracked a smile. "Success." Stephanie cheered. Stephanied showed Mar'i all of the rooms, well really only the ones that were inhabited by people, she showed Mar'i all of the Wayne family paintings on the wall. Finally they reached Stephanie's room.

"And this is my lovely room." She said leading Mar'i into. "Yes, I know isn't glorious?" Stephanie teased.

"Why is your room all the way back here?" Ma'ri asked. "There were plenty of empty room closer to everything."

"Trust me you'll see." Stephanie said. "When the boys get going it's best to be as far away as possible. Even Babs's room is down here with mine to keep away from their antics.

"Antics?" Mar'i echoed.

"It's mostly just Jason and Tim. They'll try to kill each other, but God forbid someone else try to. Sometimes Damian will try something but it's usually to cause mass pain to everyone, he really doesn't have a single target. Trust me, you'll see."

"But isn't this a far walk to do everyday? It doesn't seem very practical."

"Well, I really don't live here." Stephanie started. "I actually live on campus at my university, but some nights if my patrols end here or close to here I'll stay, but usually not often. It's like I'm part of the family, but not part of the family. If that makes sense." Mar'i shook her head, "Of course it doesn't. Well, I didn't start out like everyone here, I wasn't a gymnast, or an acrobat, or anything like that. I was just a kid with slightly better agility than most. So, when my father started doing bad things again, I had to do something and that something was put on a mask and cape, and become a Gotham vigilante. I trained with Batman, and Batgirl, and Oracle, and the other Birds of Prey, but eventually they said I wasn't cut out for the superhero gig, and they cut me loose. I still kept patrol, and training in order to prove them wrong. I guess I did because I'm Batgirl now, but at times I feel as though I really don't fit in with them. Understand better now, if it wasn't for the fact that I was batgirl and dating Tim I would never even be part of this family."

Mar'i shook her head in disagreement, "I don't think so." She said. "You have to remember that you are part of this family you have been for a while and I'm sure the others will say the same thing. I don't understand why you brought this up. You seem like you've gotten over this issues a long time ago, you didn't need to talk about it." Through Stephanie's whole story Mar'i payed attention, but something was off. Stephanie's body language, She really seemed to be that upset about this topic. While her voice quivered and hiccupped at some parts, it seemed to all be an act. She seemed too far relaxed to be upset by this.

"Dick was right, you are good." Stephanie jumped up off the bed becoming her animated self again, "Oh well, that failed." Mar'i gave stephanie a confused look. "Don't worry you'll figure it out eventually. One down four to go."

"Wait, I don't understand what will I-" sadly Mar'i never got to finish her question as the door slammed open and in ran a teenage boy about Stephanie's age run in. He had a mischievous grin and was slightly laughing as he ran in.

"Quick, Steph, hide me."

"No." Was her flat out answer.

"Come on. Jason is coming he'll be here any moment, and is that Mar'i?"

"Oh! " Stephanie realized, "Sorry, this is Tim. I forgot to introduce him."

"It's fine." Tim and Mar'i said at the same time.

"Mar'i, right?" Tim asked, "Wait sorry, Mary. It's Mary, I forgot we're practicing for when we're out in public. Sorry, sorry. " Tim turned to Stephanie "So about hiding me."

"I already said no." There was a quick whistle in the air, and Mar'i turned away for a second. It was not even a second, but when Mar'i turned back Stephanie was standing there with with Tim's hand in front of her face, and clenched in his fingers was a very sharp looking knife.

Tim glared at the blonde, "I know you saw it it time, why didn't you dodge it?"

"I knew you would catch it." She gave him a cheeky grin, that made him smile then sigh.

"What the heck, Jason?" Tim called out, "You could have hit Stephanie, you butthole!"

Jason walked into to the room, "I told you, you are going to die today." Mar'i let out a little squeak

Everyone turned to her, "Look what you did now, Jason" Stephanie scolded, "You scared the poor child!"

"It's okay. He was just joking." Tim assured. "It was a joke. We play with each other like that all the time."

Mar'i looked unsure. "Playing usually doesn't involve lethal weapons."

"It does in this house." Jason said under his breath

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Jason said a little too fast "Anyway, Drake, lets settle this like real men. A good old duke out till one of us passes out."

"Heck no. You know Alfred forbade us from doing those ever again, that and Fight Club Fridays. So no, I'm not going to fight you. "

"Well, this has gone on long enough, we need to get even, and this is the best way how. So lets go gym now, Drake."

"I'll be ref!" Stephanie shouted

"Not helping!" Tim looked around and sighed, "I really don't want to have to do this, but." Tim ran scooped up Mar'i in his arms and ran out of the room screaming, "I'm with child, you can't hurt me! LALALA! " Tim ran away to the furthest place from that point in the house before he stopped running. That place was the batcave.

"Well, I'm guessing Steph didn't get to this place on the tour. Anyway, this is the batcave, top secret so you can't tell anyone."

"Okay." She promised. "Why is he chasing you anyway." She asked.

"Well, " Tim explained, "About three weeks ago, Jason pulled a prank on me, and I got even. We'll lets just say that cycled continued until today."

"Why what happened?"

"I kinda hacked into all of his social media accounts and put up a video of him doing a very provocative dance for girls, or at least attempting it, all over the internet. Honestly, I don't see why he's mad, he started it. Now I'm finishing it."

"You shouldn't play suck horrible pranks on each other. You are brothers, are you not?"

Tim thought about this for a minute, "Yeah, but if you can't joke around with your family, who can you joke around with? " Tim said honestly, "Didn't you have anyone on-"

"DRAKE!"

"Uh oh. " Tim said as he heard Jason scream his name from the top of the staircase. "Don't worry I won't drag you along this time. See ya around, Mary. If you want to get out of the cave just take the stairs back up." And with that last piece of advice Tim vanished from her sight.

Mar'i looked around, the batcave was silent save for the typing she heard, She guessed that meant that the batman was here, and working. Best not to disturb him she thought. She could greet him later. Then, to her over sensitive ears she heard a soft mewing.

Mar'i turned but found nothing. Strange, she could have sworn she heard a cat. The meow returned this time louder. She turned, but still not a sign of the cat. Was she going crazy? Hearing a cat that wasn't there. Finally the cat meowed again, and this time Mar'i could hear where it was coming from. This time Mar'i looked up, and there it was, a black and white kitten staring at her with large eyes beckoning her to follow it, and she did. With little to no effort Mar'i floated from her place on the ground to the rafter above. Reaching for the cat, it dodged her embrace, and meowed again, before walking away from her. This cat definitely wanted her to follow it. Mar'i followed the cat down the narrow walkway high above the ground she just left. Finally the cat stopped at a smaller little cave inside of the cave.

"Do you want me to go in here?" Mar'i asked the cat. It meowed again indicating it's approval, and she crawled into the hole. The tiny cave would be only able to fit a child anyone older than twelve might have had trouble fitting into it, but Mar'i who was eight had no issue whatsoever, and at the end of the cave Mar'i found a young boy,a dn a dog sitting waiting on her.

"Good, Alfred showed you the way here. I'm Damian, little Grayson, the youngest of my father's children( if you could call the rest that.) Out of the goodness of my heart I've decided to help you today." The boy sounded arrogant, prideful. They had a very mean name for people like that on Tamaran.

"Help me? Why would you help me? You don't know me at all." Mar'i said.

"Honestly, Mini Grayson, I sympathize with you. That's not something I can easily admit." Damian said. "Not to long ago I was in a similar situation you were in, though not exactly the same, eerily similar. While I got out of my former home mentally unscaved you however did not."

Mar'i forze. "I don't know what you're talking about." she said icily.

"Don't bothering lying, because you can't even convince yourself right now. I thought you would be smart, Tiny Grayson. That you would notice when everyone's backs are turned that we all have that same haunted look in our eyes that you see when you look at yourself in the mirror." Damian chastised "You've must have realized that something must have happened to each and everyone of us that we decided the only way to fix this problem was to go out on the streets in the middle of the night and fight crime." Damian studied Mar'i for a moment. "You have bags under your eyes. Let me guess, nightmares. Grayson said you haven't been eating much, lack of appetite. Irritability, though you've tried to be polite to everyone, when they mention something close to whatever's causing you to be this way you get defensive, not to mention the fact when you first met your father, he asked you about something, and you reacted in an odd way. Can you remember what that was?"

_**"So how is you uncle on Tamaran? Ryand'r isn't it? I never got to meet him."**_

_**Mar'i froze. She just stopped as she stared off into nothing. Nightwing was about to as what was wrong when Green Lantern and Batman walked into the room breaking her out of the trance as quickly as she fell into it.**_

"Dick asked about your uncle on Tamran. I watched the security footage, you froze at the question. Why did you do that? Something happened to your uncle, and you saw it while you were still on Tamaran."

Tears began to form in Mary's eyes. "Stop." She ordered, "You don't know what your talking about."

"I think I do otherwise you wouldn't be on the verge of tears. You need to understand that whatever happens to you affects Grayson, and his head can't be on you while he's out in the field, that could get him killed. So I need you to get over whatever is bothering you to keep him alive!"

"IT ISN'T THAT SIMPLE!" Mar'i yelled. Finally the tears spilled over and she curled her knees into her chest and began to sob into them. "It isn't that simple. I want to just forget it ever happened, but I can't! And if I can't hide it, what am I going to do? What do you want me to do confess my crimes, and that will free me. It won't because the more I think about it the more it eats me from the inside out. I killed Ryand'r! Is that what you wanted to hear! That I got my uncle killed! Well, congratulations you win, and I lose. It was all my fault. He told be to get into the ship and when the Gordanians snuck up on us, they killed Ryand'r, but not before he could launch my ship. I watched him bled to death on the cold, hard ground alone because I ran from a fight like a coward. I am a disgrace to my Tamaranian heritage! I thought i could go back to Tamaran when it was safe, but now how can I face my mother and X'hal when i have to tell them how Ryand'r died, how I let him die."

"You're wrong, and stupider than I thought if you truly believe that your uncle dying was your fault." Damian said none too kindly, "Firstly, you are a child going against full grown Gordanian soldiers, you would have been killed and Ryand'r still would have died. You were in a ship that had to be locked for take off when he was killed, by the time you opened the ship your uncle would have been killed and then the Gordanians would have killed you. In all the situations I could throw at you all of them end up with either him dying or the both of you dying. Everyone will accept how your uncle died, no one is going to get mad at you. I'm not mad, your father won't be mad, and your mother won't be mad. Yes, your uncle died, but it was inevitable. The sooner you understand that the better. Besides, dying for something you believe in, or someone you love is a good honorable death. You can live knowing your uncle gave you this second chance at life, and honor him with that."

Mar'i paused, and thought over Damian's words. Dying for something you believe in, or for sone you love is a good honorable death. Yes, she had heard her mother say something similar to her once during training. Those words helped her more than Damian would her know. "Why are you comforting me? You hardly know me." Mar'i said tears almost dry now.

"I told you already this wasn't for you. I did this for your father, so he can stop worrying. Bringing you here, all of it was a ploy to get you to open up, and tell one of us what happened on Tamaran. Brown tried and failed. Todd didn't even give Drake a chance to try, but I thought any of those would have worked on you. " Damian admitted. "You're a princess, your mother must have taught you how to manipulate, and see when you're being manipulated. Most likely for the political part of your job that comes when you get older. Only if someone was direct and harsh with it would you have told someone what you just told me."

"and how do you know all of this about me?" Mar'i asked.

"Simple, because my mother trained me to do the same thing. To manipulate, but never be manipulated. I backed you into a corner and like a scared cat you did what you had to, to escape." Damian paused for a second. "You will want to tell your father this. The sooner he knows the better for the both of you. I know showing weakness is a big no in a palace, but here you have people who want to help you. So let them."

Mar'i blinked. Did she misjudge this boy earlier, either way he had he helped her and she would be lying if she said that she didn't feel slightly better. "Thank you."

"Whatever, now get out of my cave. It's lunch time, and everyone is probably wondering where you are." Damian beckoned his dog to follow him out of the cave while Mar'i took a second to register what she had just been told. She shook her head and followed the boy out. She watched as he easily flipped down to the ground below with ease and grace.

"Are you coming, Small Grayson. " He called up to her. She smiled and nodded before gently floating down. She wasn't even half way down when suddenly she started to fall. She tried to fly over and over again, but the power of flight never came to her and she continued to fall down to the ground below. Out fear of course she screamed. The sensation of falling was not one she was used to, or one she quite liked. She closed her eyes as the vision of the ground became closer. She was going to die. Die because she could not even do the simplest of Tamaranian techniques, flight. Maybe this was X'hal's punishment for Ryand'r's death. She would have thought this if she had hit the ground, but she didn't.

When Mar'i opened her eyes she was in the arms of Damian. He had saved her twice today.

"What the hell happened?" He growled "I thought you could fly!"

"I can!" She defended "Or I could."

Bruce who had spent all this time over at the computer was already over there, looking over Mar'i seeing if she was injured. "It's a good thing she didn't hit the ground. Nice catch, Damian." He took the girl from his son's arms and walked her over to the medical bay, "Damian, go upstairs tell Dick what happened, and bring him here."

"Yes, Father."

Bruce set Mar'i down, and began asking her questions, "What happened?"

"I don't know. My Powers..."

"Bruce!" Dick called as he ran down the steps into the Batcave, Damian two steps behind him.

"Over here!" He called back, "Now, do you know why your powers failed?"

Mar'i shook her head, "This has never happened before. I've always been able to fly." Mar'i assured.

"What happened?" Dick asked when he ran over to Mar'i. "Damian told me your powers failed."

"I don't know. I was flying, then I was falling."

"Was it your emotions. Your flight is controlled by your emotions."

"No, it wasn't that."

"Try flying again, Mar'i, not too high, but just enough we can see." Bruce said calmly.

"I'll try." Mar'i stood by and tried to propel herself into flight, but the feeling was feeling of turning ultraviolet radiation to flight energy was completely lost.

"I can't do it." Mar'i said. "I can't fly. What's happening to me?"

* * *

_Final Notes: _

_Final word count: 4646( I swear I tried to make it shorter!) _

_I am soo sorry about the wait, and the length. I usually post each day, but yesterday I was soo tired. Also the length I had a place I wanted to stop this chapter but to get there I had to write 4646 words! I'll try to post a chapter by tomorrow morning if I'm not dead tired or just being lazy. _

_Anyway the reason for my daily updates are that I want to get a lot of this story out before mid-July because that's when I have band camp and won't be able to write as much because of school. _

_Thanks to all my reviewers! I love you all, You guys are what keeps my muse up and running. And thanks to all the people who Follow and favorite my story you also give me great hope. _

_Please Review/Follow/Favorite, and keep my hungry muse feed! _

_Love, _

_ Miyu K. July 15, 2014 _


	4. Zero Year 4

**Chapter 4: Zero Year 4**

It had been agreed that whatever was happening to Mar'i was not affect her health as far as they knew. She was fine physically. Whatever was going on with her powers it was not life threatening it seemed. Dick understood they had to see someone about Mar'i's powers, but who on Earth knew Tamaranian biology and Human biology. There was only one person in the world who did, that person was Victor Stone, Cyborg.

Victor Stone, former member of the Teen Titans was now big shot Justice League member. He moved up in his years, actually climbing the ranks of the superheros in the league, now he was the leader of their Scientific Research department. He and a bunch of scientist helped the league by analyzing things for cases and creating inventions to help the average superhero on a day to day basis. Victor was living a good life. Dick hated to say this but he hadn't visited many people from his old Teen Titans days. He was still friends with them, and when he would see them on the Watch Tower or on some mission it was good to see them. But Dick admitted he hadn't been a good friend, he really should see them more often. Actually that was the of the things Babs always complained to him about. That he never checked in often enough, sometimes he would go months without talking to Babs and he would be in gotham the entire time.

When they arrived to the Watch Tower, Cyborg was surprised and pleased to see Nightwing, and of course he had offered to help in anyway possible. Mar'i was taken into testing immediately. Victor had his assistants take care of Mar'i while he himself talked to Nightwing about the situation.

"You say her powers are failing, correct?" Victor asked. "Are you sure she just wasn't in a bad emotional state? I seem to remember that holding Kory back a few times."

"She says that wasn't it, but honestly Mar'i doesn't know. She seems healthy but she can't fly. Sometimes she's able to hover a bit, but mostly she can't even get off the ground."

"That's weird." Victor commented. "Do you think it has to do with the mix of Tamaranian and Human DNA?"

"I thought that at first, too, but if it were she wouldn't be otherwise physically fine. Everything has turned out normal we've done scan after scan in the Batcave, but nothing has come up."

"So why come to me, you must realize I'm only going to do the same scans you did at the Batcave."

"You know more about Tamaranian biology. It could be a key factor that we can't see." Dick admitted. Usually when one of them was hurt, or something was wrong with them, they rarely look for outside help. Leslie is as about outside as it gets, but she was currently in Africa.

"I understand. I heard Kory just sprang Mary on you like that, I'm sorry." Cyborg apologized.

"What are you apologizing for, you had no way of knowing," Nightwing laughed. "It's fine. I've gotten over that now. It doesn't matter, Mary's here, and that's what matters."

"You're a good man, Dick. If I were I probably couldn't have handled it so easily." Cyborg said. "Now you saw it's just her flight that's gone, or going away?"

"Yes, we've checked her other powers. Starbolts are fine. Super strength is there, and you understand why we won't check the invulnerablilty. Other than that her superior sense are still fine. We're at a total lost, Victor."

"When the test come back in a few days I'll be able to tell what's wrong with her powers, till then I'm afraid you'll have play the waiting game." Victor said as Mar'i came out of testing.

"Thanks, Victor."

"No problems, man. If anything else changes before the test come back, bring her back in we may have missed something." Dick nodded, took his daughter by her hand took her home.

By the time they got to back to Gotham, Dick had decided that it may not be the best choice to go back to Blüdhaven at the moment. Mar'i had not said a word since she fell two days ago. She barely eat, not that she had eaten to be much to begin with. Maybe staying at the manor with everyone would help her? The moment they got back to the manor, Mar'i went straight up to the room Alfred had prepared for her, and didn't come down. Stephanie pleaded with the girl, but she refused to even open the door. Finally they gave up, realizing the girl only needed some alone time. What they did not know was that someone was checking on Mar'i. The only person that was willing to go into the room even though she didn't want them there, Damian.

Damian didn't care about what the girl thought of him. Honestly, he didn't care about her personal feelings or even her for that matter, but she mattered to Grayson, and that was really the only reason he was even bothering with the girl now.

"What are you doing in here?" She asked. Mar'i didn't even look at him only continuing to stare at the ceiling.

"Aren't you going to ask how I got in?" Damian asked.

"I'm not stupid, it was the window." Mar'i answered.

Damian smirked, "Close, but no." Mar'i looked up at him confused and he gestured at the vent, which cover was now barely hanging on by one screw.

"Whatever, why are you here, Damian? Don't locked doors mean anything to you?" She sneered

"No, not at all. You still haven't told your father about your uncle's death." He said. Mar'i noticed this wasn't a question, but a statement. "I thought I told you to tell him."

"I haven't had the time with the whole losing my powers situation."

"Bullshit. You have had time you just won't tell him, but let me tell you something, Small Grayson. You are a distraction, you distract him when he can't afford to be distracted. If he doesn't get his head in the game he might die, so you need to get your shit together. If something happens to him because he wasn't focused on the mission, I will personally blame you, Mar'i Grayson."

"Get out." Mar'i hissed, "Now." With a shrug Damian complied but before he left the way he came he turned back to Mar'i to say on final thing.

"You're scared, rightfully so, but in order to survive here with us, you have to get over that fear. And the only way to get over your fear is to break it wide open." Then as quickly as he came Damian vanished back into the vent. Mar'i wasn't sure if the boy wanted to help her or not.

* * *

It seems that emergencies tended to happen when you really not mentally prepared for them. Arkham was having another mass prison break, all gotham vigilantes were needed from Batman to The Question, and that meant Nightwing as well. Dick really wasn't on his game recently, but who could blame him, in a little over a week he had found out he had a daughter, and something was wrong with said daughter's powers, so yes Nightwing was a little off his game tonight.

"Watch out!" A soon as Batgirl said it, Nightwing ducked and back flipped kicked his would be attacker.

"Thanks, Batgirl."

"Where is your head tonight, Dick?!" on the comm in his ear Oracle was currently yelling at him.

"Sorry, I just got a lot on my mind." Nightwing admitted, flipping two more thugs into each other.

"I know, but we can't afford for you to be spacey." Oracle scolded.

"I know, I know. How many more left?"

"On your side? " Oracle asked. "About fifteen. By my estimate, you and Batgirl should be done in about 20 minutes. Then you can go help Red Robin and Huntress, They got stuck facing Killer Croc, and are a little fatigued with the rest of them."

"Alright." Nightwing said, "You got all of that, Batgirl." He called as he knocked out another thug.

"Every word."

"Good then let's finish up here."

* * *

"Alfred, I don't know how you do it." Mar'i said sitting at the Batcomputer.

"Do what, Miss Mary?" Alfred asked.

"Sit here, waiting and hoping that they all come back alright."

"With an extreme amount of patience, Miss. A very extreme amount." Alfred answered honestly.

"What was it like Bruce's first time out as Batman, were you worried?" Mar'i stared at the computer wishing she knew how to work it so she could listen in on their communications.

"Despite the fact, that Master Bruce had trained for years and years to be the man he is today, I worried. I still worry every night that he goes out that when I awake in the morning I will hear news of some villain who finally got lucky and killed the Batman. It still terrifies me to this day." Alfred answered handing the young girl a cup of tea.

"Alfred, do you maybe think that-"

"Hello, Alfred? Please tell me that you're at the computer." Mar'i looked over to the computer the once black screen now had a green symbol across it.

"Yes, Miss Gordon, I am here." Alfred pushed a button on the computer and answered.

"Great, this while go a lot faster now. Long story short, Batwoman and Black Canary were not able to contain Scarecrow. Canary got dosed with a healthy amount of his fear toxin, I usually have the antidote here, but I ran out after Batgirl and Robin's last encounter with him." She quickly. "I'm sending Lady Blackhawk to pick some up, she should be there in about seven minutes."

"Consider it done, Miss Gordon."

"Thank you, Alfred you're always a big help." With that the green symbol across the screen faded away, and alfred walked away to complete the task at hand.

"Alfred, Who was that?" Mar'i asked following him to the medical bay where the butler was looking through cabniets.

"That was the young Miss Barbara Gordon. She works as an information gather and master hacker for the superhero community, calls herself Oracle. She has been a great help all these years, and honestly we couldn't have done many things without her help."

"Okay, So she knows all about the computer, and things like that?"

"Yes, she does. She is probably the best in the world at what she does." Alfred answered Mar'i only nodded leaving the conversation there.

Two minutes later a black car pulled up into the batcave via waterfall entrance, and out stepped the blonde Lady Blackhawk.

"Thank ya, Alfred. I better get this back to the clocktower, Canary's supposed to be there in a few minutes. Poor batwoman had to sedate her to keep her from going crazy. Canary's not going to be happy when she comes to." Lady Blackhawk said taking the syringes from the butler.

"I wouldn't be either if I were her, Miss Blackhawk."

"I better get going. Thanks again, Alfred." The blonde pilot then hopped back into her car and sped away.

The butler turned back to the computer fully expecting the young princess to be standing right where he had left her, but found that she was not there. After extensive searching of the manor and the batcave alfred concluded that she was not on the grounds anymore.

"Oh dear, This can't be good at all."

* * *

"Hey! Let me go!" Cried Mar'i as she struggled against Lady Blackhawk's hold.

"Missy, I don't know who you are, or how ya got into the back of my car, but I'm gonna find out."

"Just let me go!" But Lady Blackhawk held tight to the girl's purple hoodie.

"Oracle, We've got a small issue." Lady Blackhawk said as she walked into the clocktower. In the clocktower was a computer with multiple screens, and at the computer was a red-headed woman in a wheelchair.

The woman spun around, "What happened? Did something happen to the- Is that a child?"

"Yes it is." Lady Blackhawk jerked the girl forward, "I found her in the back of my car when I pulled up here. I don't know where she came from though, I've only been here and the Batcave tonight."

Oracle wheeled closer, and got a good look at the girl, "It's okay I think I know her. You're Mary, aren't you?" The young girl said nothing only looking down at the ground. "Alright, if you want to be that way. Zinda, take the girl back to the batcave. " At this Mar'i looked up.

"No!"

"Ah, so you did want to come here on purpose." Oracle deduced. "Why are you here, Mary?"

"I just couldn't sit and wait." Mary answered.

"Umm can someone please tell me who this little girl is?" Lady Blackhawk asked. "And how she got in my car?"

"Zinda, this is Mary, Nightwing's daughter." Barbara introduced. Zinda looked alarmed.

"I didn't know he had a kid, specially not a what? Seven, eight year old."

"In all fairness." Mar'i interjected. "He didn't know about me until recently." Comprehension lite up on Zinda's face. "I snuck in your car when you were talking to Alfred. I'm sorry but I had to meet you, and this was the quickest way possible."

"You could have just waited till tomorrow." Oracle said. "Your father and I are good friends."

"Yeah, real good friends." Lady Blackhawk said under her breath. Oracle ignored her comment and continued.

"Why did you feel the need to come here, Mary?"

"I can't sit and wait anymore. I should be out there helping them." Mar'i said.

Barbara made face, "You sound like your father, and you're much too young to be going out there." Barbara said returning to her computer.

"Damian's out there." Mar'i argued.

"Damian is two years older than you, not to mention he has been trained his whole life for this stuff." Oracle put on her headset. "Oracle to Batwoman, what's your status."

"Trying to get Black Canary out of here. Having a little more trouble than I thought I would have." A voice from the computer said.

"Do you need back up?" Oracle asked.

"No, it just might take a while to get Canary there." Batwoman said.

"Alright, Tell me if anything changes." Oracle then turned back to Mar'i.

"I've had training, too." Mar'i said.

"Yeah training, while you had your powers." Oracle said. Mary looked at her with wide eyes. "Yes, I do know about that. Right now with your powers the way they are, and us not knowing why they are giving out it could do more hurt than help to send you out. "

"You're right. I can't go out there, " Barbara looked at the girl in surprise. "but that doesn't mean I can't help out from here. I've heard about what you do, you can still help while not being physically out there. I want you to teach me to do what you do." Both Zinda and Barbara gave looks of surprise this time.

"You want me to teach you?"

"I know I'm asking a lot because I haven't been on Earth very long, and I have a lot of catching up to do, but I promise to work hard if you give me the chance, and I will-"

"Yes." Barbara cut the young babbling princess off.

"Wait, what?"

"Yes. I will teach you, but you have to promise me you won't pull off a crazy stunt like the one you did tonight. That was very dangerous what if Zinda had been heading to Arkham?" Mar'i said nothing, "You could have been killed, and how can I face your dad if something happened to you under my watch. So, if I'm to teach you, no more crazy stunts, you need to be sensible."

"I promise." Mar'i swore.

"Good. Meet me tomorrow from two till five." Mar'i nodded. "Good now, Zinda,-"

"Oracle, this is Batman. Arkham is clear. Canary should be there in five minutes." Mar'i smiled at the gruff voice she knew.

"Alright, I'm ready for her. Who's still missing?" Oracle asked.

"The Riddler, Bane, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Two-Face, and Scarecrow. Joker, Penguin, Black Mask, Killer Croc, and Mr. Freeze have been accounted for."

"Wow, there's a first. Harley and Ivy won't be a problem for a while, Ivy's smart she'll lay low for a couple months. Bane will lay low, too. Most likely get out of the country. Two-Face is really the only one we're going to really have to watch out for because Riddler will only stick his head out if it interest him."

"Alright, I'm going to be taking some of the injured back to the Batcave, then heading back out for patrol. Maybe catch some of the small fry we missed."

"Call if you need anything." Oracle said. There was only a grunt as a response.

"Oracle, We're here!" called Batwoman from the stairs. Coming up the steps was a passed out Black Canary being held up by Batwoman and Nightwing. At the sight of Barbara Nightwing flashed her, that smile of his before setting Canary on the table.

"I heard from Alfred that I had something here to pick up." Nightwing said eyeing his daughter. she hide from his gaze behind Oracle.

"It's okay, I already chewed her out about how stupid and dangerous that was. Take her home it's been a long night, I'll see you two tomorrow." Barbara wheeled away to go help Black Canary, while the Grayson walked out of the clocktower.

"Dad," Mar'i called. "I think I have something I need to tell you." She said finally.

"Well, I'm all ears." He said giving his full attention to his daughter.

"On Tamaran, the day of the Gordanian attack, it was me and Ryand'r flying and..."

* * *

Three days had passed faster than both Dick and Mar'i would have ever thought. With Oracle's lessons, and staying at the manor the days had passed rather quickly. Mary's nightmares weren't as bad after she told her father about them. He had been supporting and understanding, even offering to tell his own tragic tale. The story of how his parents died, and that sometimes he still gets nightmares about that told Mar'i that he wanted to teach her all the acrobatics he knew when they figured out what was wrong with her powers, and that when Haly's circus came back in town how he was going to introduce her to everyone there, and he would take her flying on the trapeze. In those three days Mar'i and her father became unbelievably close, maybe Hal was right. Just give it sometime,and everything will turn out alright.

"The results, Victor?" Dick asked. Praying this phone call wouldn't bring bad news.

"She's perfectly fine." Victor said. "Everything came back in order. Healthwise, she's alright." Dick let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"Okay, and her powers?"

"Well, according to what I've got here, it just seems to be that she's outgrowing them." Victor said.

"What? What do you mean outgrowing them?!"

"It's kind of like how a child out grows Asthma." Victor explained. "How don't know long it will take but Mary's powers are all going to start to fade away a little at a time."

"And will she ever get them back?" Dick asked.

"I don't know, only time will be able to tell." Victor said.

"Thanks, Vic, you've been a lot of help."

"Anytime. If there are any changes in her health call me, I help her out as much as I can. "

"Alright, thanks again. Goodbye." And Dick hung up the phone.

"So my powers are just going to fade away?" Mar'i asked.

"Looks that way." Dick answered honestly.

"And I might not get them back?"

"I'm so sorry, Starshine." Dick Pulled the young girl into a hug.

"Starshine?" Mar'i echoed "I didn't know you knew what my name meant. Mother used to call me that all the time. I don't even know if she's okay."

"Have faith in her." Dick said. "If anyone can bet the Gordanians, it would definitely be your mother. If it were me I would be able to beat an entire army just to have you back, so have faith, and everything will turn out alright."

* * *

_Final Notes: _

_Word count: 3571( not as long as the last chapter!)_

_Honestly, this was probably my least favorite chapter to write, but it needed to be done. Actually a lot of the stuff I wanted to do was cut out from the final draft, I might do them later, or not. _

_Special thanks to Victory Goddess, whose review was what got me through this chapter! You're Awesome, dude! _

_Don't forget to Favorite/Follow/ Review, and feed my muse. I won't stop writing if I don't get any, but it helps the process and makes me know you're reading!_

_Love always, _

_ Miyu K. ~June 17, 2014 _


	5. Zero Year 5

**Chapter 5: Zero Year 5 **

Two Months, that was the amount of time it took for everything to change. In two months everything had changed. In two months Dick had lost his job at the police force, In two months they had moved to Gotham, and in two months Mar'i had lost all of her powers. After flight it was her star bolts, and after those it was her super strength, and with her powers went her all green eyes. It was a little poetic, the one thing on her that didn't look human left her when she practically became human. The only thing she had was the superior senses, she could see a little farther, and hear a little better than most humans.

Mar'i and her father moved into a loft in downtown Gotham near Wayne Tower, but still Mar'i ended up at the manor on a daily basis. Her father luckily got a job at with the Gotham P.D. Despite his truancy, Blüdhaven P.D only had good things to say about Dick, also it helped that Dick was good friends with the commissioner. So during the day before Dick went to work he would drop Mar'i at the manor, apparently she needed a babysitter, not that she thought she needed one. And from the mansion she went to the the clocktower, where Oracle showed her everything from how to work a computer, to how to hack into a bank account. Mar'i decided the day she told her father about Ryand'r it was the last day she would ever let something hold her back like that. Instead, Mar'i focused on getting to know the planet she was currently on, and Stephanie loved to help her out.

Oh, the television shows and movies that Stephanie made the girl watch. She said that was because she needed to learn the culture, and that the only way was to watch these movies and tv shows. From teenage Vampire romances to dystopian future zombie movies, all of them in Stephanie made Mar'i watch. And on her own Mar'i read, she read more than one would think capable of reading. The pure look of happiness on her face when Bruce showed her the Library was almost too much to believe. Bruce doesn't believe he's ever seen a child that happy to read books. The Library in the manor was massive and held books from Dr. Suess to the Count of Monte Cristo, now whenever Dick picked up Mar'i at night she would have a new book.

On his days off and after work before patrol Dick taught his daughter acrobatics. In a week Mar'i had her Back-hand Spring down. In another she had both front and back tuck down. By the end of the two months Mar'i knew and perfected moves that only Dick knew and could, one of them being the Quadruple Somersault. All the while Mar'i grew frustrated, her father was teaching her many things but was not even discussing what she really wanted to do.

"I'm not surprised." Barbara said during one of their sessions "Your dad can be very thick at times."

"At times? Most of the time." Huntress said, walking into the clock tower.

"Helena, really?" Barbara said.

"Of course, to this day he has no idea why I refuse to get that pizza with him." Huntress said taking a seat next to Mar'i. Mar'i had meet Helena a few weeks ago, Tim had introduced her as someone who was like family, but only around at random times. According to Alfred, Bruce does recognize her as one of his protégés, but for some reason he doesn't tell her that, but whenever she needs something Bruce is there.

"So, what do you need Captain Oblivious to know?" Helena asked.

"I want him to start training me." Mar'i sighed .

Huntress whistled, "Now that's a big one. For all we know he might not even want to train you, or for you to get involved at all."

"He should know that if he's involved that I'm going to be. I mean did he let Bruce get away with that!" Mar'i said. "Barbara, you understand why I want to do this, right? All of you are risking something, I'm the only one who's a burden, and not pulling my own weight. It's time I start at least training. Then after a little while he can let me come out with him. I mean, I really want to, but I get the feeling he wouldn't want me to be out there. I would be more useful out instead of being here doing nothing, and I-"

"Mary, you're rambling again, but you're right, I'm sure Canary and I can train you." Helena said. "We did train Stephanie."

"Not without her dad's permission, Helena." Babs shut down the idea quickly. "Mar'i, honestly it's going to be hard because honestly I know your dad won't want you anywhere near this life. I wouldn't want my daughter getting into this, but if you can get your dad to agree to let someone train you, then we can train you here."

* * *

The idea was nice, but Mar'i knew her father wouldn't agree. They had never talked about it, but she was sure he would still say no. Mar'i sighed as she sat in the manor, it was almost time for her dad to be getting home. He didn't have patrol tonight, and said he had a surprise for her, obviously she didn't know what it was, and her dad had gone to great lengths to keep it from her.

Mar'i had hoped that they were going to go somewhere, with her eyes the way they were it was hard to let her go out, but now they didn't have that issue, she had normal green eyes now, and she still hadn't seen a movie in the movie theater. There was a lot of things that she still hadn't gotten to see, but she had read about them at least.

"Mar'i, Come here I've got something for you!" Right on time, her father was home. Mar'i set her book on the table next to her, then ran down the stairs to greet her father.

"You're back!" She screamed as she hugged him. "How was work? Did you fight some criminals? Did you arrest someone? Was it a real criminal, like Riddler or Cluemaster? Did you get hurt? Did someone hurt you? If you're hurt what about the surprise? Please, tell me you didn't get hurt. I Don't think I could handle that after Jason got shot in the arm last month. Are you going to at least tell me the surprise if you're hurt and we can't go. Is it a movie? I hope it's a movie? You know I haven't been to one yet." Dick sighed at the mile that just came out from his daughters mouth. It was moments like this that he was reminded that she was really his daughter. When Mar'i first got here she was so serious and quiet. She had this look on her face sometimes that he was sure was the exact same face Kory had when she wasn't too pleased with him. Hal did say she had his mouth, but honestly he hadn't started to see that until recently. It had taken her at least twice as long to get used to him as it did Hal, but honestly in that time a lot happened, at least she was comfortable with him now.

"Work was fine." He laughed. "Yes, I did arrest someone. No, it wasn't someone like the Riddler. It was for public intoxication, and just because someone isn't on the criminal A-list doesn't mean they aren't criminals."

"I know." She said. "I was just hoping it was someone interesting." She rocked back and forth on her heels as she smiled at him. "Alright, so surprise?"

"Well, This is the first part." For the first time Mar'i noticed that in his hand was a garment bag. He handed it her and motioned for her to open it. When she zipped it open inside was a beautiful satin purple dress with a black sequins band around the waist and a purple bow on the hip. Also inside of the garment bag was a decent sized black bow for her hair, and black gloves for the winter.

"Wow, Daddy, it's beautiful, but I don't have anywhere to wear it to." Mar'i said. Examining the dress, "You remembered that I liked bows." She said as she picked up the bow, and felt it's soft satin and lace.

"I couldn't forget, you do where something in your hair every day. Even when you don't go out." Dick said smiling done at the young girl as she kept looking the dress over. "Also that's the next part of the surprise. Go shower, and get dressed. I'm taking you out tonight." Mar'i squealed in excitement before running up the stairs

"Wait! Wait!" Mar'i yelled as she ran back down the stairs, "I don't have shoes to go with this!"

"I've got you covered, Starshine." Dick handed Mar'i a shoebox, and her smile grew even larger.

"Thank you, daddy." Mar'i motioned for him to lean down, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek before running back up the stairs to get ready.

Dick however remained frozen in the same spot, hand touching the cheek his daughter just kissed.

"What's wrong, Dickface, growing sentimental in your old age?" Jason teased leaning against the wall.

Dick was too happy to even pay attention to his younger brother's teasing remark. Dick just went upstair to get ready for the night ahead himself.

* * *

"This isn't your car. Whose car is this? This car is too nice to be your car, Daddy. Not that your car isn't nice it just isn't this nice. So who's car is it really?" Mar'i said as they drove through Downtown Gotham.

"For the last time, Mar'i this is my car." Dick sighed. She had been at this for the passed 15 minutes.

"No it's not. I've seen your car."

"Yes, it is. I have more than one car, you know."

"Then how come I've never seen it?" Mar'i questioned.

"Okay, This car was a birthday present from Bruce. Though it's likely Alfred had bought it with Bruce's money, because Brue tends to forget about birthdays."

"He does?" Mar'i asked with wide eyes, "Isn't that kinda bad?"

"It's horrible." Dick agreed. "One year, he just plain forgot it was Tim's birthday. I think that was the year or the year after he adopted Tim, either way he had to have known when Tim's birthday was. So the day came and Alfred didn't speak to him all day, finally when Tim came home from school and went down to the Batcave to help Bruce with a case. Tim didn't even say anything till Alfred came downstairs with a birthday cake. Bruce apologized, but boy did Alfred let him have it. To this day Bruce makes sure that he checks to see when one of our birthdays are coming."

Mar'i giggled. "That sounds like Alfred, but can you really blame Bruce? He is really busy."

"I've never forgotten a birthday, and I work just as much as he does." Dick said with pride.

"That's good to know. So, I can ask you when everyone's birthday is."

"Yup, I know everyone's birthday. Tim and Jason are summer babies. Damian's was born in april. And Bruce and Babs in February. Okay, actually Bruce remembers Barbara's birthday because it's the day before his." Mar'i giggled as they pulled up to their destination.

"Kane Theater?" Mar'i read. "Like a movie theater, or a play theater?" Mar'i asked.

"A play theater, but we aren't seeing a play." Dick stopped the car got out and handed the keys to the valet.

"It's good to have you back in town, Mr. Grayson." The valet said as Dick opened the passenger door to let Mar'i out. When she got out she was amazed. Crystal chandeliers, and a red carpet, women in elegant gowns, and the men looking dashing in tuxedos and suits, and the cameras were flashing bright lights danced out capturing every moment the gotham socialites did.

"Woah, what is all this?" Mar'i asked.

"This is the annual Gotham Showing of the _Nutcracker. _It's a ballet they show every year around Christmas time. Bruce took me once as a kid. He hated it, but I loved it. I've been coming every year since. "

"Oh wow." Mar'i said taking in her surroundings.

"I thought you might like it. Most of gotham's elite show up, but surprisingly not a lot of paparazzi. I thought this was a good opportunity to introduce you to our other world before you start school next semester and the paparazzi are following you around." Dick said over the clicking of the cameras.

"What was that all about?" Mary asked once the we're inside the building.

"Paparazzi, they like to take picture of famous people for money. Come on, our seats are in the balcony." They climbed the theater stairs up, and were lead by an usher to their seats. They were supposed to be alone in the balcony instead found a woman of short black hair occupying one of the four seats.

"Selina?" Dick asked. Yes, it had to be Selina because in her lap was was a cat, Selina's cat, Isis. "What are you doing here?"

"What can I say, Isis loves the ballet. I heard you had booked balcony seats, and I couldn't help myself. This is my favorite time of year." She said as she petted the cat on her lap. "So is that her?" Selina asked. "The big man told me a little about her. He was right she is gorgeous."

"Mary, this is Selina. She's Bruce's... Girlfriend?" Selina snorted.

"If that's the right word for it." Mary didn't greet Selina like she did others instead her gaze was fixed upon the cat in Selina's lap. "This is Isis, do you want to hold her?" Selina asked.

Mary's head jerked up. "Could I?" Selina nodded and handed the cat to the young girl. The cat immediately took a liking to mar'i.

"Wow, she likes you. She just doesn't like anyone you know. Isis is real picky about the people she likes, she'll let anyone pet and hold her, but you can tell who she really likes. "

"I love cats. Damian has one, but he never lets me play with Alfred says I'll spoil him." Mar'i said sitting down to play with the cat.

"Then I'll visit often. Cat lovers should help each other out, right?" Selena said. Mary's head nodded in agreement. "Have you seen a ballet before, Kitten?" Selina asked. Ma'i shook her head. "Oh then you'll love this. Look the show is starting."

In twenty minutes Mar'i was in love. The dancing was quite mesmerizing, she loved the fluidity of the motions, the grace of the dancers and the beautiful music. She couldn't get enough. It was amazing how they told a story through now words, no lyrics, only movements. By the end Mar'i was sure she would love going to the ballet then going to see a movie. The movements didn't seem hard, in fact Mar'i was sure if she learned she could do it.

"Did you enjoy it?" Selina asked at the end of the ballet.

"Oh very much so! I adored it. I've never seen anything so spectacular in my entire life. Daddy, can we seen another?" Mar'i asked.

"Sure, I'll look up when the ballet is in town again."

"Thank you thank you!" She said. "Selina, thank you for letting me hold Isis the entire time." She handed the women back the cat.

"Selina." Dick said. "WHy don't you come by the manor later tonight? I'm sure Bruce would love to see you." Selina gave Dick a weird look, who only stared at her in return.

"Okay, I'll be there. I've got some things to take care of first, but make sure you tell the big man."

"We will. See you later, Selina." Dick said.

"Goodbye, Selina." Mar'i called out as the woman walked out. Selina only waved a hand in response. "I like her, she's really nice." Mar'i commented.

"Most of the time." Dick said under his breathe. He gathered the 8 year old up in his arms and together they left the theatre.

* * *

Mar'i licked her ice cream cone. "The ballet, and ice cream in one night? What's going on? Why are you being so nice tonight?" Mar'i asked. They were on their way back to the Manor. It was about seven O'clock, and Mar'i said she wanted to go back to the manor to tell Stephanie all about the ballet.

"I'm always nice to you." Dick said evenly. "What I can't do something nice for you once in a while?" Mar'i narrowed her eyes, but softened her gaze.

"Well, I guess you can." she said finishing off her ice cream.

They pulled up to the manor, and Mar'i dashed out of the car. "Hey do you think Tim or jason will go with us next time?" Mar'i asked.

"Tim maybe. Jason definitely not, he's hated stuff like this since he was twelve. Stephanie would defiantely go with you next year, if her classes let her."

"You think?" Mar'i asked

"I do." Dick then opened the door and they were greeted by the of Kazoos and other party whistles.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARY!" Mar'i jumped in surprise. What? She almost couldn't compute what was going on, But everyone was there from Bruce to Helena wishing her a happy birthday, and the thing was she had forgotten today would be her birthday. Well forget isn''t the right word. Days run differently on Tamaran so it was hard to keep track of how they corresponded with earth days. Mar'i admitted she really hadn't thought of it, but who would in her situation.

Mar'i blinked, "How did you know today would be my birthday?" She asked. "Even I didn't know."

"It wasn't me." her father admitted. "It was your mother. Kory put the day your birthday would be on earth in the letter she wrote to me when you came here. She must have done the math."

"Come on, Mar'i. You look like you need cake." Stephanie plucked the girl from her father's side and steered her over to the table of cake.

"Don't forget presents. " Jason added.

"We all agreed, that since this is your first year on earth, we should let your birthday be extra special." Tim said.

"We've been planning this for about two weeks." Barbara said. "I'm not going to lie. I almost spilled the beans, but Helena covered for me."

"I sure did. Happy Birthday, Mary. You earned it." Helena said with a smile.

"Great!" Stephanie yelled "Now let's all eat cake before we have to patrol tonight. I want a nice sugar rush while I'm kicking criminal butt."

"Sounds like a nice idea, Brown." Jason agreed.

"You can't even go on patrol, Todd." Damian reminded, "You got shot in the arm two weeks ago."

"I've kicked ass with less." Jason said.

"No, you won't." Bruce said giving a scolding glare to the younger man. Jason pouted and glared at the young Damian.

"Come on, Mar'i. Don't pay them any attention." Tim said. He sat her down in a seat and handed her a gift carefully wrapped in silver paper. "Open my present first. You'll love it."

Mar'i opened the gift, and on the inside was seven book, a series of books actually titled Harry Potter.

"I noticed how much you like to read." Tim said. "And I also noticed you seem to enjoy the fantasy one's more than the other, so here is one of the best stories known to man, Harry Potter."

"Thank you, Tim." Mar'i said. Jason snorted.

"You would give the kid something boring like books, Drake. Let me show you a real gift." Jason rolled in his gift. It was a blue and silver scooter. "I tweaked with it a little. Now, it goes much faster than all the others they sell in the store." Jason grinned.

"Should I even ask how fast." Dick said. Jason just looked at him. "I guess not."

"My turn! My turn! My turn!" Stephanie pushed around the crowd to get to the young princess. "This is a music player. You can download all the games and music you want on here, everything will be charged to Tim's card so thank him for two gifts!" A shout from Tim went ignored. "And a cute pair of purple headphones to match. I do love a girl who loves purple." Stephanie handed the items to the girl and dashed off before Tim could get to her.

Alright, I guess I'll go." Barbara wheeled forward. "You're going to need your own Laptop for school, so I bought you one. I played with it a little, you won't get any viruses, and unless someone with skills better than mine tries to hack it, you shouldn't be hacked."

"Thanks, Babs." Mar'i said with a smile she did want her own computer.

"Mary," Helena started. "I noticed that you have your ears pierced yet you don't wear any earrings. It is my firm belief that a female of any age who has their ears pierced must have at least one pair of diamond Earrings, and these, my dear, are your's." Helena handed a little velvet box to Mar'i inside were diamond earrings in the shape of two little stars.

"Wow, way to show us all up, Helena!" Stephanie called from the floor where Tim had tackled her and now held her in a headlock.

"Please." Helena said with a flip of her hair. "We haven't even gotten to Bruce yet." Every nodded sheepishly in agreement. Whatever he was going to give the girl was going to be more expensive then all of their gifts combined.

"Damian, your turn." Jason called as he pushed his little brother forward.

"Here. Mini Grayson, it isn't much." He handed her a wooden box that wasn't even so much as wrapped. Inside was about fifty butterfly shapped throwing stars. The were all black or silver, and very beautiful.

"I don't know what to say, Thank you." Mar'i said. "but I don't know how to throw them." Damian snorted.

"That's easy to amend. I'll just teach you."

"Why is giving lethal weapons as a gift a norm in this family?" Dick cradled his head in his hands. "We were almost normal."

"Don't cry, Dickface." Jason said with a pat on the back. "Don't you realize we'll never be normal."

Dick sighed, "Bruce just go. I can't right now. I'm so done."

"...I really don't see the issue, but okay." Before Bruce could give her the present the doorbell rang. Bruce raised an eyebrow, "Who could that be?" Bruce went to go answer the door and was greeted by the sharp green eyes of Selina Kyle.

"Selina!"

"Heard you were having a party. Seems my invite was lost in the mail, don't worry Dick took care of it." She kissed the cheek of the man before her then strutting into the room, hips swaying.

"Hey, Selina." "I didn't know you were coming." Was the general consensus.

"I heard it was someone's birthday, so I ran home and got a gift that I knew she would love. " She knelt down in front of Mar'i reached into her handbag and pulled out a small grey and white kitten with green eyes. "Happy 9th birthday, Mary."

"OMIGOD!" Mar'i squealed as she plucked the kitten from selina's hands. "Thank you, Selina. Just one question I just meet you today how did you know it was my birthday?"

"Well, your dad told me on the sly. You were right there I'm surprised you didn't notice. He did a real good job not tipping you off, that hint was so vague I almost missed it."

"Okay, that clears up my confusion." Bruce said. "You were at the ballet. Good intentions I hope."

Selina grinned a toothy grin, "Baby, I always have good intentions, but we can talk later. Right now is about, Mary." Selina turned back to girl. "So what are you going to name him?"

"It's a boy then...Hmm." Mary pondered for a moment. "I'm going to name him, Hal!" Mar'i said once she decided on a name. "He looks like a Hal."

"You're going to name your cat after Green Lantern?" Tim asked.

"Without Hal I couldn't have even had this cat, or even know all of you besides. The green eyes on this kitty scream Hal. I have to name him that."

"Okay Mar'i, but you have to take care of the cat." Dick said.

"Oh I promise!"

"Good, Bruce I believe it's time for your gift." Dick said.

Bruce fished around his pocket and pulled out a phone and handed it to the girl, "It's the newest generation smartphone. When you need an upgrade tell me I'll get you a new one."

"Huh and I thought Bruce was going to beat us all in the gift department." Jason said. "Looks like I win for best gift."

"No, you don't." Stephanie said. "If anyone won It's either Barbara or Helena."

"Not so fast." Selena said. "Mary, can I see the phone for a minute." Mary nodded and handed the phone to the woman. "God Bruce!" Selena said in shock.

"What, Selena?" Jason said.

"This smartphone has been on my christmas list for a long time now. It's a gold and diamond encrusted smartphone. Made by one of my favorite Jewelers, the home button alone has about 6.6 carats of diamond, the corners of the phone are white gold, and there are approximately 138 diamonds around the edge. All together I believe this phone cost about 2.4 million dollars." Jaws dropped as Selena finished.

Jason threw his hands in the air, "That's it. I'm done." And he just walked out.

"Why?" was all stephanie could manage to say.

"Actually the one I wanted to get her was actually about 15 million, but they couldn't get it here on time so I just settled for that one. I thought it was cute enough for a little girl."

"My god." Helena whispered. "Batman just said the word cute." She whispered to Barbara, but only received a pointed glare from the dark knight himself.

"Wow thanks Bruce." Mar'i said as she took the phone back from Selena.

"Yeah thanks, Bruce." Dick spat. "Now my gift is going to look crappy."

"What? It's only like 2 million?"

"Don't even." Dick said with a sigh. "Now Mar'i, my gift isn't as overly extravagant as Bruce's but it was a lot of meaning. " He dropped a gold necklace into his daughter hand. "This necklace was my mother's. It's birds flying out of a cage. My mother always said if there was one thing she taught me, its was to be free, and be myself. Now I hope I can teach you the same thing."

Mar'i pulled her dad into a hug, "Thank you, daddy. I love it. I'll wear it everyday." She pulled her long black hair up for him to put the necklace on her.

"Thank you all for the wonderful gifts. I don't think I could have survived here without each and everyone of you." Mar'i said. "On Tamaran you usually do not see such kindness unless it's from your own family."

"Hey, we are your family," Jason said coming back into the room.

"Yeah, we might not be related, but we are family." Tim said. "We had the hardest time getting Damian to understand that. Don't tell me you're going to be the same way, too."

"Yup, if there's one thing you can count on it's us to be there for you." Stephanie said. "I can't count how many times Bruce, Dick, Tim, Jason, and even Damian have dropped whatever it is they're doing to help me out, and I would do it for them in a heart beat."

"Thanks, really. Thank you all."

* * *

"Daddy," Mar'i called out she was about to go to sleep and Dick had come in to check on her. "Can I ask you for something before you go out on patrol?'

"Sure, anything." Dick said.

"Daddy, I'm tired of being helpless, and a burden to you all. I wasn't going to ask this but the party changed my mind. Dad, I want you to train me to be your partner, like the robin to your batman. I want to be out there helping you." Dick froze. He wasn't going to lie, he knew this day was coming. He just didn't expect it to be here so quickly. He remembered being in her shoes, asking Bruce to be able to help him, and Bruce never said he wanted him out there but still supported him being out there. Now that it was with his own child, his daughter, Dick didn't really like the sound of her fighting side by side with him in a kevlar outfit similar to his own. In fact he didn't like the idea at all.

"Mar'i, I'm going to be honest about this. I don't want you in that kind of life. I don't want you anywhere near it, in fact."

"But-" Mar'i tried to protest but she was cut off.

"No buts, we'll talk later." And Dick left the room. Mar'i had the feeling that even if they did talk later he father would not be changing his mind.

* * *

After making sure everyone was out on patrol Mar'i wandered down to the Batcave, and found Jason working in the gym.

"Hey, Stella." Jason called from the bench press. "I thought you were asleep." Jason always preferred to call her by her middle name. He was the one to choose it after all.

"I had too much on my mind." Mar'i admitted to her uncle.

"Sounds like you need a good sparring session. What do you say, Little Star? How about a spar?" Jason asked.

"I don't know. I haven't fought since I had my powers."

"Then this is a good time to see where you stand. Come on let's go." Jason walked over to the sparing mat and got in a good steady position. Mar'i got ontot he mat as well. "You attack first." Jason said. Mar'i nodded and jumped into a punch, but Jason caught her elbow with ease stopping it.

"You attacking like you still have powers, "He said. "Had you had your super strength, then you probably could have gotten away with that." Jason let go of the girl's elbow. "Again." he ordered. This time She spun into a roundhouse kick which he caught again and flipped her onto the mat. Mar'i recovered quickly using all her arm strength pushed of the floor aiming a kick to Jason's chest which he side stepped.

"Good, now you're thinking." He said. "Again." Mar'i threw her elbow at him as expected he caught it. She then kicked at his side, which he caught as well. He flipped her again though instead landing on her face again. Mar'i used the flip to throw herself into a front handspring and landed in front of Jason. He smiled at her as she jumped into the air in order to kick him, but the attempt failed as he just side stepped her again.

"That's enough." Jason said. "You're really good for a novice." He praised.

"What are you talking about I couldn't even touch you."

"Yeah, but I've trained most of my life so people wouldn't be able to touch me." Jason said as he helped her off the ground. "I can see Kory trained you a little, but not enough. Honestly, if it wasn't for your pure natural talent, and you acrobatic ability that short fight would have ended long ago."

"Natural talent?" Mar'i echoed.

"Yup, honestly Dick should start you training immediately, " Jason said. "You were born with his natural talent for fighting. Getting it down won't be as hard for you as it was for me when I first became Robin. "

"Too bad, He says he won't train me." Mar'i said with a pout.

"Your dad is a moron. Not using such potential would be a waste. Not using you in the field would be a big fat waste. If he knows what's good for him he'll train you." Jason said.

Mar'i sighed. "I've already asked. He said we'll talk later, which is a translation for nope." Mar'i sat down on the ground. "I want to be able to help you all out there, but if he won't train me I'll only keep being a burden."

"Then how bout I train you." Jason said. Mar'i jerked her head towards him. "Yeah, I could train you."

"But what about my dad?" Mar'i asked. She was all for anything if she got to help everyone out.

Jason smirked, "I guess we better keep it a secret then." Mar'i smiled. This could actually work.

* * *

_Final Notes: _

_Final word count: 5828 _

_I am so fucking sorry. Firstly I'm sorry that this chapter took me 3 friggin days to write. I won't lie I was procrastinating. Secondly, I want to apologize for this shit long chapter. I honestly never wanted this chapter to be this long, but I wanted to end it with Jason agreeing to train Mar'i and in order to get there, all of that other stuff had to happen. Honestly, I ended up taking a lot out of this chapter. I originally wanted Mar'i and her father the day after her birthday go see haly's circus, but by the time I got to the point I wanted to write that I was at about 4000 words. I also edited out a lot of the random talking and character cameos. Vicki Vale had a cameo I was forced to take out, but honestly it wasn't needed. _

_Thanks again to Victory Goddess for her lovely review, and to random guest who just said, and I quote, "MOOOOOOOOOOORE". You two have my love eternally. _

_Don't forget to Favorite/Follow/Review. Like always it feeds my muse, and helps me work! _

_P.S next chapter is the last of this arc, which if you couldn't guess is titled Zero Year. Next arc Mar'i really gets to work, gets a life of her own outside of her family, and makes her way as a vigilante of Gotham. _

_Love always, _

_ Miyu K. ~June 20, 2014 _


	6. End of Zero Year

_**Flashbacks= Bold and Italics**_

_Authors note/Final thoughts= Italics _

* * *

**Chapter 6: End of Zero Year**

"You're doing well. These past six months you've progressed farther than I could have imagined." Jason said as he spared with Mar'i. "Have you been reading your files?"

"Of course." Mar'i aims a punch at his face, unlike before when she just started training, Jason is barely able to dodge this one. Jason duck and swipes a kick under her feet which she neatly jumps over, and flips over Jason. She's now on his back swings back and flips them both to the ground.

"Good, Let's see. Tell me the weaknesses and Strengths of the heros I call out. Wonderwoman." Jason climbs back to his feet, and kicks at the girl still on the ground. At last minute she rolls away.

"Good tactician, her powers, and lifelong training. She also has a lot of experience. Weakness, She can be bound by her own lasso, and she loses her powers if her hands are bound by a man." Mar'i flips up. Right hooks Jason in the face. He grabs her arms and holds them, but before he can flip her Mar'i jumps and kicks him in the gut.

"Green Arrow." He said while rubbing his stomach.

"Could kill you if he has his bow and arrows, but that's also his greatest weakness. He relies too much on it, without them he's about as easy a takedown as common purse snatcher." Mar'i said giving her mentor time to rest.

"Batman."

Mar'i froze for a fraction of a second giving Jason the chance to elbow her in the chest, "Don't hesitate!" He shouted at her.

"Batman is probably the hardest of all heros to take down. While he has no powers, his superior intellect and use a gadgetry has made one of the most powerful superheroes of all time. Strengths, His mind, his stamina, training in the martial arts and other fighting techniques, not to mention his perfect aim with batarangs. Weaknesses, Batman is human meaning he can be killed with something as simple as a stab wound or poison, but he's made sure that those can't hurt him a majority of the time. It's best to catch him off guard, and in order to do that psychological warfare is necessary. Reminding him of his past failures, like the death of his parents, his former addiction to venom, or...The death of the second Robin are enough to catch the man off guard and can be used to overpower him." Jason smiled at the girl.

"Good. That's enough. Damian's been working on your marksmanship, right?"

"Yup, just like he promised he's been helping me."

"How far have you come?" He asked. In response Mar'i threw a black and silver butterfly thrower just past his ear and meeting the training dummy in it's head. "So pretty far." He answered his own question.

"When can I go out into the field?" Mar'i asked with hopeful eyes.

"Actually you're more than ready to go out, but if you do you know you're dad would be pissed." Jason rolled his eyes. "Sometimes your dad can be such a dick."

"Hahaha." Mar'i laughed sarcastically. "That's so funny and original. I'm dying of laughter." Jason frowned.

"You know I think spending time with me has caused you to pick up my sarcasm." Jason said sadly. "You used to be so polite."

"Well Stephanie did say you guys were going to get that out of me." Mar'i said retrieving her butterfly thrower form the

"You act like we've corrupted you." Jason said with a slight wince, Six month ago the girl had a lot less sass. She was still chatty, but now she would slip a sly little comment in.

Mar'i thought for a moment, "Yeah that sounds about right." She said with a cheeky grin not unlike her father's. Jason gave the girl a slight nudge

"Whatever, come on we're practicing your shooting-." Jason was cut off by the loud ringing of Mary's phone.

"Crap. Sorry, Jason. I have to go to dance practice. " Mar'i glanced down at her watch. Six o'clock. Practice started in thirty minutes. In January, she started taking Ballet lessons. Like her training she progressed fast and well. She started with only ballet, now she was part of her dance school's competitive. She wouldn't lie she had help to get where she was. She had a tiny Jason to help her with her dancing and his name was Kevin Jackson.

* * *

"Glad to see you made it to practice on time, Riri." Kevin said with his signature smirk. His brown hair blowed in the wind. He had waited outside for her.

"Did you wait outside for me, Kev? That's dangerous, we may be in a slightly better part, but this is still Gotham." Mary scolded. Kevin laughed.

"Come on, Riri. It would be rude of me not to wait on the pretty girl. You're my partner besides, if we're late together Ms. Michelle won't yell at us as much." Mary laughed as they walked into the dance studio. Even though they were late together they still got a mouth full from their ballet teacher. Learning French had been a lot easier thanks to Ms. Michelle. Mary learned a lot of colorful words thanks to the french native.

"You know what, both of you, practice your duet for next week's competition. Kevin, please help Mary with her _Fouetté en tournant(whipping turn). _Last practice she fell. It seems she never does as well without you here to guide her, my star pupil."

"Thank you, Ms. Michelle.I'll try my best." He said as he took mary by the hand and lead her into the corner to church. "What happened two days ago you had it?" he asked her when they were out of earshot from their teacher. "Can't do anything without me, huh?"

Mary shoved him as she fell elegantly into her middle split. "I was worried about you." she admitted. "It was the first time in my six months here that you missed practice. I thought you might be dead in a ditch somewhere."

"How sweet of you, Riri. Worried about my well being?" He grinned cockily at the girl.

"You know for a ten year old you are are a flirt." Mary stated dryly.

"You know for a nine year old you sure are serious." He shot back. They always bantered like this. The other girls refused to work with Kevin, though he was probably the best dancer the conservatory had, others simply didn't get along with him. Mary on the other hand was progressing so fast that Ms. Michelle simply didn't know what to do with her. After Mary's first three months with the conservatory Ms. Michelle asked Mary to join the competitive troop. She was progressing too fast to place with any of the other girls or boys, but Kevin though leagues ahead of Mary was the only one who could shift his levels fast enough to dance with her. Their first competition Mary and Kevin won third place for their ballet duet in their division, by their third Mary and Kevin were winning first place all around. With Mary's acrobatics and Kevin's dance skill, they made the perfect team.

"Come on, Riri let's start. I'm assuming we don't need to work on those turns now that I'm here." Mary snorted. "Good, now lets start at the part with the back tuck." Mary nodded and the two quickly started working. Another trophy for the Michelle Bissonnette Dance Company was almost assured.

* * *

When Mary had got back to the manor that night she noticed everyone was in the Batcave, even Alfred. When she got down there faces were pale and in deep thought.

"What's going on?" She asked. Mar'i almost regretted asking as every turned to her as if she should know already.

"It seems the Joker and a few others have commandeered Arkham." Bruce said without even looking away from the batcomputer.

"Is this like the massive breakout attempt from eight months back?" Mar'i said looking at the situation stats on the batcomputer, "Joker working with Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc. That's odd, something's not right." Mar'i said. Bruce smirked slightly at her observation.

"Very good. We were just discussing that. We believe this could be a trap." Bruce said.

"It wouldn't be the first time they've tried to trap you in Arkham." Tim said.

"Yeah, but this time you're not alone. You won't fall for the same trick twice. They seriously think they can kill you with this old trick?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow at the whole situation.

"I have a bad feeling." Dick said gaze hardening. "Anybody else got this feeling." Bruce nodded while only Jason announced aloud his agreement.

"Bruce, Dick is right. I think we should call in backup from Barbara and the Birds of Prey." Bruce nodded.

"Go ahead and call. Tell Barb I only want Huntress and Canary, anyone else could cause the Joker and the other villains to act out." Jason pulled out his phone and made the call immediately. "I want one of us to stay here and operate on the batcomputer and help Oracle." Bruce said. He turned to Mar'i. "Mar'i, you wanted to prove yourself, this is your chance. Work as a guide from here, pull up records from Arkham and try to stay two steps ahead. Do well and you might have a future working with me." Mar'i nodded fervently.

"I can do that." Bruce only nodded. While Mar'i was pleased with the development it wasn't lost to anyone the way Dick's lips pressed into a fine line, but he kept his mouth shut. He would never go against Bruce especially knowing how much his daughter wanted this.

"Everyone suit up, we're heading to Arkham." It was action time, so why did something feel so off?

* * *

"Clairvoyance, we've reached Arkham." Batman's voice rang clear through the headpiece. Clairvoyance was a codename Barbara suggested as she was probably going to be doing this more often now.

"I've hacked into Arkham security cameras, I've got a visual." Mar'i replied. "I have visual."

"I have visual as well, nothing out of the ordinary." Barbara confirmed. "Move ahead as planned."

"Noted. Huntress, Canary you're with me we'll be going through the front entrance." Batman started.

"And the rest of us will go through the back, while you talk to the guards and get a fix on the situation." Red Robin finished. Red Hood said something under his breath that sounded something similar to the words, "suck up", and was elbowed by Nightwing in response.

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, we've got it. Let's go Robin and former robins alike!" Red hood said feigning enthusiasm.

"UH! OH! Robins in da house!" Batgirl joked following after hood and the others.

On a separate link with only Batman, Oracle and Clairvoyance. " Why did you separate?" Oracle asked.

"We can cover much more ground that way, also it's easier to make an escape." Batman said. "Most likely, Nightwing will split them up again. I have a feeling he might need to."

"So why not leave at least two of them behind?" Clairvoyance asked this time.

"Because, I'm going to need all the help I can get, and I already have people on the outside. " Mar'i looked confused. Apparently she wasn't the only one because on a private messaging system on her personal laptop, Mar'i received a message from Oracle Only containing the words, "What?" and "Who?"

"Alright, If you say so, Bruce." Barbara said with a sigh. Mar'i looked hacked into the cameras of the south entrance showing Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Robin entering the building discreetly via vent entrance on the roof.

"Team Two is clear, Batman. You can go ahead." Mar'i said. She watched as Batman with Canary, and Huntress at his sides entered Arkham and were greeted by the head of security at Arkham.

"Batman!" He said with a bit of relief in his voice. "Thank God you're here. Joker's loose, and I've already lost half of my men. I had to pull my forces back, and there are still guards and doctors in there. I've lost half of Arkham already."

"You've done good so far." Canary said

"Now let us finish this." And batman walked briskly past the man further into Arkham.

"Clairvoyance, I want a visual on the half of Arkham that has been taken over by Joker and Company." He said into the comm link.

"Consider it done." With fast typing skills Mar'i had access to other half of Arkham in a matter of minutes.

* * *

"Alright, I say in the closest room to you, about fifteen thugs guarding what look to be hostages. " Clairvoyance voice rang through the ears of the heroes. " A total of six hostages."

"How many armed?' Canary asked.

"About five." answered Oracle at the same time as Clairvoyance.

"I'm liking those odds." Huntress said with a crack of her knuckles.

"Clairvoyance, Can you get a visual on Joker, or any of the other top priority threats?" He received no answer. "Clairvoyance, do you read me?" Still no answer, only static. "Oracle?" he as expected he received no answer as well. "Shit!"

* * *

"Barbara, What the heck is going on! I lost contact with every single one of them!" Mar'i was currently at the Batcave frantically searching for a way to gain back contact.

"Same thing on my end. A frequency jammer. We can find a way to bypass, but by that time..."

"Whatever it is Batman needs to know won't help him." Mar'i finished for her.

"You're catching on fast. We need to find a way to get contact back pronto."

"Already working on it." Mar'i began smashing the buttons need to get around the frequency jam when Alfred came running down the Batcave stares,

"Miss Mary, Quickly turn on the news we have an issue. " Mar'i did as she was told and didn't like what she found.

"Riddler, here." The news cast said. "Tonight, we villains are treating the citizens of gotham to a rare sight. It's most dangerous villains working together in order to create total anarky here in Gotham." Riddler was in what looked to be a fancy ballroom surrounded by what looked o be Gotham's most elite people on the floor heads covering their heads in fear.

"If you would all please turn your attention to the bridges that lead out of Gotham." On cue the footage switched from the riddler to the bridge. "Currently our precious Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are holding captive all two hundred people with the bomb we have strapped to the bridge. Anyone who tries to escape will be immediately killed by Poison Ivy and the bridge will explode killing everyone on it." On the bridge you could see it covered in vines and at the top of the vines were the two women smiling down at the chaos they help create. The camera went back to the Riddler. "And here with me is Two Face at the Mayor's Gala for Charity. We are holding all of Gotham's officials hostage from Mayor Hull to Commissioner Gordon. So we see we easily have the upper hand. And honestly Gotham none of this was for you. Now I have one final Riddle for you folk, How do you kill a bat? Answer, You destroy it's habitat." And with a loud cackle the camera cut off.

"Oracle you got all of that." Mar'i asked.

"Every word. Then that means-"

"All of this is a trap! We need to get word to the others! NOW!"

* * *

"Alright." Nightwing announced. "We need to split up. Robin, Red Robin with me. Hood you're with Batgirl."

"Why am I always with him!" Batgirl cried. Everyone was moving forward except Robin who stayed rooted in place only looking at the security camera.

"Robin?" Nightwing asked carefully.

"Something's wrong." He said, and the words were all that was needed to get everyone on high alert.

"I'm going to try and contact batman." Red Robin said. he was silent for a minute "Communications are blocked. Something is definitely wrong. Nightwing I think we should Re-"

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Red Robin reached into his utility belt and pulled out a mini computer.

"What was that?" Robin asked.

"I have a small two way messaging system with Oracle's computer just in case something goes wrong and we need to communicate." Red Robin answered.

"Well, what does it say?" Batgirl asked, and as she did Tim's face paled.

"WE NEED TO GO! NOW!" Without another word they all sprinted towards the exit.

**"ACCESSING LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE. LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE COMMENCING." **An automated voice said.

"OH Shit!" Red hood screamed as he rolled under some closing steel doors.

"This isn't good, we've fallen into a trap!" Red Robin shouted over the sirens wailing around him.

"Yeah thanks for the info, Red Robin. I hadn't noticed!" Batgirl shouted at him as she jumped over upcoming bars.

"Now is not the time to be throwing shade, Batgirl!" Nightwing stressed as he continued to run. He could see the vent they entered through. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that they aren't all going to make it. Hood must have figured it out too.

"HOOD!" Nightwing called

"Already on it!" Red Hood grabbed Robin by the hood of his cape and flung the eleven year old into the vent. He made it just barely and climbed in with little effort.

"You're turn, Red Robin!" Nightwing fired his grapling hook into the vent with perfect aim and shoved it into Red Robin's arms flinging him into the vent.

"You now, BG." Right before the vent Red Hood stopped readying himself as batgirl jumped onto him and used him to get into the vent. A second later the bars came down trapping Red Hood and Nightwing on the other side.

* * *

**"ACCESSING LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE. LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE COMMENCING." **An automated voice said.

"That can't be good." Canary said.

"MOVE!" Batman shouted as all three heroes jumped out of the way of a fast falling steel door, luckily they all ended up on the same side.

"Please don't tell me that means what I think it means." Huntress said.

"We're locked in Arkham Asylum." Batman said in a grave voice.

"Okay easy fix, I'll just use my canary cry, and-"

"Set a bunch of the criminally insane into Gotham. Be smart Canary, we can't risk that." Batman said

"Okay, Good point. So what do we do?" Black Canary asked.

"We put them back in their cells, and give control of Arkham back to the police." He answered.

"Umm, this may be a bad time to point this out, but if they wanted to keep us in here, What's happening in Gotham that they had to lock us in Arkham Asylum." Huntress asked. Canary visibly paled.

"This can't be good." She repeated.

* * *

"Oracle, do you have contact with Batman yet?" Mar'i asked.

"No, it's going to take time." Barbara answered.

"What about the city? Gotham's best are currently stuck in Arkham, while the criminals are going nuts."

"I've already got Lady Blackhawk, The Question, and Batwoman taking care of that, but they'll need help." Barbara sighed. "I think I should call in the league."

"NO!" Mar'i shouted. "This is a Gotham issue and should stay in Gotham. Besides, Bruce would kill us if we did."

"We may not have a choice." Barbara said sadly, "As much as I want to keep this in Gotham, we only have three people working on a case that the whole Batfamily and plus would be working on."

"As a last result, then." Mar'i said.

"Agreed."

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, NIGHTWING!" Robin shouted as he gripped the bars from inside the vent.

"I did the math, not all of us were going to make it. Red Hood and I are the fastest, so we used that speed to get the three of you out. " Nightwing said calmly.

"You three need to get out of here, and help everyone outside because whatever shit is going on in here is going to be ten times worse out there." Jason said as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

"We'll take care of all the bad guys in here. Now go, you've got a job to save the rest of gotham."

"What about Batman?" Batgirl asked worriment in her voice.

"I would like to say he, Canary, and Huntress got out, but I know they didn't. Maybe we'll be able to meet up with them while we're in here, but for now you three need to go." Nightwing ordered, and with a heavy heart they did as they were told. Robin cursing the whole way through.

* * *

"We need all the people we can get." Alfred said pouring a cup of tea for the young girl working at the computer.

"I know, Alfred. Everyone we have is either in Arkham or already out there." Mar'i said she was closing to breaking through communication jammer.

"Not everyone." Alfred said. Mar'i sighed.

"Cassandra is still in Hong Kong, and last I checked Selina took a one way flight to Paris. We'll be lucky if she comes back by Christmas." Mar'i said completely missing his point.

"That's not what I was referring to, Miss Mary." Mar'i froze.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said going back to working on the computer.

Alfred stared down at the young girl, "I think you do. Though you've hidden it well, I am well aware of Master Jason training you. I have watched you, and I have seen that much talent when it comes to fighting."

"My father." Mar'i finished. "He doesn't want me in this so it doesn't matter you can go out there."

"Did your father tell you about all of his nights out before he became Robin." Mar'i stopped and turned to alfred in surprise.

"What do you mean "before he became Robin"? I thought Bruce trained him for a while then let him go out as Robin." Mar'i said.

"Right after his parents died Bruce took Master Dick in. A little dangerous as Master Dick was unaware at the time of Master Bruce being Batman. Well, every night Master Dick would go to bed, and Batman would go out hunting for the Grayson's murder, but Master Dick was not actually asleep like Bruce originally thought. Every night Master Dick would go out and and hunt for his parents killer, as well. Batman caught him one night, and Master Dick easily put two and two together. "

"And that's how he became Robin." Mar'i finished. "So he was out running the streets long before Bruce trained him, and Bruce only trained him because he was going to go out anyway? Bruce might as well control what he did and who he fought if he was going to go out there."

"Exactly." The butler said with a nod. "One thing the Robins all have in common is the way they enter our world, Miss Mary. From Master Richard to Master Damian a Robin's first night in the field was completely against Master Bruce's orders. Master Bruce didn't want any of them to follow in his footsteps, but they did anyway and through it he has supported them all. Tonight, the world is going to need another child to step up and fight for justice, and that child is you."

"My dad will never forgive me." Mar'i said in a whisper.

"He will."

"My dad will kill Jason though." The butler cracked a smile at that.

"Now that your father will do."

"Okay Alfred, we need a mask and something I can wear. I'm too small to fit into Jason's old costume in the case, and I can't go out without some form of protection." Mar'i said getting up from the computer.

"I believe the answer lies in something your teacher might have told you." Alfred said cryptically.

Something Jason must have told her? Jason told her a lot of things what did that have to do with getting her a costume, unless Jason was Robin when he was about eight, or he was a girl in the past he wouldn't have...A girl.

Scarlet. Scarlet was her answer.

**_"You're a really good teacher." Mar'i commented one day during practice._**

**_"Thanks, but I did learn from the best." Jason said. _**

**_"Not all people who learn can teach." Mar'i said wisely. "You teach like you've taught someone before." Jason didn't say anything. "Have you taught someone before?" _**

**_"Only once." Jason answer came out guarded, and fast as if he wished the topic would be left at that. _**

**_"Who was she?" Jason was not going to get out of this easily. _**

**_"Scarlet, she was my partner." Jason said after a slight pause. His voice peaked slightly indicating this Scarlet was important to him._**

**_"What happened to her?" Mar'i asked softly as if scared of the answer. _**

**_"She left me."_**

"Alfred, you wouldn't know where Jason might keep some of his mementos from his early Red Hood day?" Mar'i asked.

"Upstairs in his room. I believe he keeps them in the chest by the foot of his bed." Alfred said with a raised eyebrow.

"Thank you!" she shouted as she ran out of the Batcave and up the stairs. Tonight Scarlet was going to make another apearrance.

* * *

"Hello?" A voice called through Batman's comm link. "I've done it. It took a while but Clairvoyance and I have broken through."

"Oracle?" Another voice in the comm link said. It was Nightwing.

"Comms back online?" This time it was Red Robin.

"Oh, thank God." Said Batgirl.

"Oka,y now that we've established that the communication is back up, can someone please explain why the fuck a majority of us are locked in Arkham Asylum!" Jason growled.

"That would be nice." Helena said in agreement. "I want to know why exactly I'm stuck in the looney bin."

"Oracle, can you tell was what exactly this trap was?" Black Canary asked.

"Well, it's really simple when you think about it. All of our major A and B list criminals are working together in order to kill us and take control of Gotham. It seems they left the more dangerous ones in Arkham to kill you all."

"So they trapped us here while they are in the process of taking Gotham over?" Red Robin asked.

"Exactly, but with you all stuck in Arkham there's barely anyone out here to take them on." Barbara said she heaved a big sighed. "We're in a lot of trouble this time, Batman. They've taken the bridge and the Mayor's Gala. I think we should call back up like League back up."

"No!" Batman growled. "Unless the situation is completely out of our control, you do not call the league."

"Bruce, the situation is out of our control! With the eight of you trapped in Arkham who's going to save the Mayor's gala or the people on the bridge! Lady Blackhawk, Question, and Batwoman won't be able to save both of them and take care of the goons terrorizing the streets! We need help!" Oracle yelled.

"Actually..." Dick started

"Not now." both Oracle and Batman said at the same time

"but-" Nightwing said.

"Later," Barbara ordered harshly as she continued to chew out the dark knight.

"Father!" This time it was Robin who interrupted the argument. "I think I should report that Brown, Drake, and I have successfully escaped Arkham Asylum."

...

"What?" growled Batman.

"The three of us managed to escape before lockdown." Damian repeated

"Nightwing and Red Hood what's your status, then?" the dark knight asked. "I thought you were all together."

"We're locked in." Nightwing confirmed. "It was either the three of them or just Jason and I, we made the call to get them out before us."

"Good call." Batman said gruffly. "Red Robin where are you currently?"

"We're climbing back up the vent back to the roof, Batman. From there we'll go back to the city and stop this." Red Robin answered.

"Good. I want those of us stuck in Arkham to get these criminals back into their cells. After we take care of that we'll figure a way out of here. Red Robin, Batgirl, Robin, I need you three to formulate a plan to save the Mayor's Gala then the bridge."

"On it." The three youngest voices rang out.

"This is going to be a long night." Nightwing sighed.

"Umm, I hate to point this out, but where has Clairvoyance been this entire conversation?" Batgirl pointed out.

Silence followed batgirl's question

"What?" Nightwing growled eerily similar to they way Batman had earlier.

* * *

"Clairvoyance, Answer me damn it!" Her father yelled in the her ear piece.

"Chill I'm here." Scarlet said calmly.

"Mary, where are you going? You're location is not at the batcave, and you're blocking my signal to your ear piece!" Oracle said

"That would be correct, Oracle." Currently she was on Jason's motorcycle and on her way to Arkham Asylum, but she wasn't going to tell them that. "I have a plan. Don't worry I won't do anything too dangerous. We'll talk later." Scarlet didn't bother waiting for a response before shutting off her comm link for the moment. If what she saw on those security cameras was correct then Robin, Batgirl, and Red Robin were going to be in some major trouble.

* * *

"What the heck do you think Mary's up to?" batgirl asked.

"Don't know. We need to focus on what's in front of us, Steph." Red Robin reminded.

"We're at the end of the vent." Robin looked back and announced. "We should be on the roof after this."

"Great because while I love our job, the squeezing three people into a vent thing isn't my favorite part." Batgirl said as the vent opened up and with it came the soft breeze of a cool summer night.

Robin went out first scoped the area to make sure none of the escaped patients were around before giving the okay for Red Robin and Batgirl to climb out.

"You see anything?" Red Robin questioned.

"No, but when has that meant anything." Robin said back. They were in enemy territory, therefore they did not have home field advantage.

Batgirl pulled out her night vision binoculars and looked around for their rides. "Shit. Not good not good at all."

"What is it?" Red Robin grabbed the Binoculars from her hands and looked where she was looking. Standing at Red Robin's car and Robin's motorcycle was the Penguin and a lot of his goons.

"How the hell are we going to get out of here?" Batgirl asked worried. The longer they took the more likely people were going to die.

"Like we always do," Damian said with a crack of his knuckles, "Fighting. Each of us will take about 25 each."

"That sounds like a losing battle, Robin. "Red Robin said formulating a plan to get them out of Arkham without the big horde of criminals spotting them..

"We're fighters, Red Robin. There's only one way out of here, and it's kicking and screaming."

"Good." I deep voice said softly. "I LIKE MY MEALS BETTER WHEN THEY FIGHT BACK!" Just in time to dodge the large fist coming down at them did The trio notice who exactly they were up against. Killer Croc.

"Oh shit!" Batgirl said as Croc swung at her.

"There's not enough space to fight him up here!" Red Robin cried. "We need to get to the ground!"

"Oh yeah, and then after we kick his ass then we go and take down Penguin and his men! Get real, Red Robin!" Robin shouted at his older brother.

"Doesn't look like we have much of a choice!" Stephanie said. "JUMP!" and off the roof they did. Using their different acrobatics they all got down from the roof safely, but landed right in front of Penguins men.

"Oops." Batgirl said.

"Big Oops" Red Robin added.

"Good Job, Croc. Just as planned. Today is the day we rid Gotham of it's bat problem. Kill 'em, boys." Penguin ordered. And the men attacked.

They were outnumbered by a lot, honestly this fight could have been easier if they didn't have to dodge Killer Croc as well as the thugs advances.

"Batgirl, duck!" Red Robin called out. She did just that as batarangs flew over her head and hit the goons behind her.

"I had it! I don't need help, Red Robin." Batgirl said she flipped a thug over with her bo staff.

"Well, if you get your head in the game maybe he wouldn't need to help you." Robin scoffed at the girl.

"Shut up, My head is in the ga- ROBIN WATCH OUT!" Batgirl screamed. Robin turned around to see Killer Croc behind him ready to crush him with his fist when a very familiar motorcycle came out of no where, and crashed into Killer Croc and sent him flying into the side of the asylum. Flipping off of the motorcycle was a girl no older than Robin, and she flipped off the cycle with as much ease as any of them would.

"Who in the hell?" Robin started.

"Shut up and fight!" She cut him off. No need to be told twice Robin quickly threw himself back into the fray all the while watching the new comer intently.

The way she fought was familiar. She fought like them, but it was slightly more brawling then actual martial arts. From her form he could tell she knew the martial arts but preferred a more MMA style of brawling then say Nightwing's perfect martial arts form. Actually now that he thought about it the girl fought a lot like Red Hood. While fighting he tried to get a closer look at the girl but found her identity hidden by a pair of round, red tinted goggles. Who the hell was she?

Outside of the fight Penguin noticed his numbers start to diminish with the fall of Killer Croc. Penguin knew he had maybe 3 minutes, Five if he was lucky to get away before the younger vigilantes got to him. Yes, right now was the perfect time to get away. Penguin started to move closer and closer to the tree line, he was almost home free when a silver and black butterfly thrower nearly took his nose off, and embedded itself into the tree behind him.

"Wait a minute, Cobblepot. I'm not done with you yet." The girl left the rest of her thugs to Red Robin who was just finishing up to attack the host of this little party. Penguin quickly pulled out his umbrella girl and wasted no time firing at the girl. With another throw of one of her butterfly blades she easily knocked the umbrella from his hand. She quickly approached him dealing punch after punch. With a final spin making her long black ponytail flare out did the girl elbow the man straight in the nose knocking him out. "Well, that takes care of that." She said dusting off her hands.

Tim stood there shocked, "Thanks for the help but-"

"Who are you?" Stephanie finished. Robin walked over to the tree where where one of her throwers was stuck in the tree.

"Really, Batgirl?" He said "I could have sworn you were smarter than that." He plucked the thrower from the three and threw it at her feet. Comprehension lit up on her face,

"But this is one of…. Mar'i?" The goggled girl smiled and nodded

Angry yelling started to come from Batgirl's comm. "What do you mean Mary?! Is she there? She's there, isn't she? Tell her to turn on her comm, now."

Mary sighed, "You left your comm link on again, didn't you?" Batgirl only shrugged and mouthed an apology as Mar'i turned her comm link back on.

"Yes," She said reluctantly

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Her father's voice.

"I believe that I'm helping." Mar'i said.

"This was stupid and dangerous and if I wasn't locked inside of Arkham I would-"

"Dick," Red Robin called out cutting off his rant, "She kinda saved our asses. Cut her some slack."

"Yeah, Damian would be croc food if it wasn't for her." Batgirl defended as well.

Nightwing was silently for a moment, "Alright." He said a little more calmly, "but still she has no where near enough training to out there, especially not on a night like tonight."

"Grayson, she seems decently trained to me." Robin cut in. Dick paused.

"How? I haven't-"

"Hood has." Batman said quickly. "We need all the people we can get. You're going to have to drop this one till later." Mar'i rolled her eyes if Alfred knew of course Bruce would.

You could almost hear the way Nightwing glared at the younger man.

"If I die please note that it probably wasn't the inmates who killed me." Red Hood said feigning a solemn tone.

"I'll won't kill you now," Nightwing said a little too sweetly, "I'd do it in your sleep, so sleep with one eye open tonight, Hood."

"Too late for that." Hood said under his breath, "Anyway what are we going to call you?"

"Probably the same thing you called the first girl who wore this outfit, Scarlet."

"Woah, woah ,woah, you have on Sasha's outfit? Dang she was tiny." Red Hood said.

"Made some changes, Kept the purple Kevlar main body part, but tossed the red cape and hood. Also added that black leather jacket you gave me for Christmas."

Red Hood laughed, "You are good. I must have done something right. OW!" It didn't take much to guess that Nightwing had hit him.

"Topic at hand." Batman reminded. "Scarlet, can you give us an update on our situation."

"Well other than Riddler and Two-Face taking over the Mayor's Gala, and Harley and Ivy taking everyone on the bridge hostage. We also have Bane and his men running the streets terrorizing the people. Last I checked Batwoman, The Question, and Lady Blackhawk were trying to take down his forces a little at a time."

"and the police force?"

"Commissioner Gordon and a lot of the higher ups are stuck in the gala." This time it was Barbara who answered.

"Why didn't you say that earlier?" Nightwing asked.

"Because I thought you had figured it out. He's fine, it's not him I'm worried about. Riddler just made another announcement, at midnight they plan to kill the mayor and Ivy's going to destroy the bridge with everyone on it. Things are looking really bad, Batman."

"Then It's a good thing we're here." A sultry voice cut into the conversation.

"…..I thought you were still in Paris." The dark knight asked.

"I thought you kept better tabs on me." Catwoman answered back coyly.

"How did you even get on this frequency?" Barbara asked. She prided herself that it was almost unhackable.

"Didn't she say 'we'?" Another familiar voice said.

"Guess who I found in the airport?" Catwoman teased. "I caught her trying to sneak out the women's restroom window.

"Cassandra!? Holy Crap! You're Back!" said Batgirl relieved

"We saw what was happening on the news at the airport." Cassandra explained. "They locked the whole thing down for people's protection. I found Selina while she was trying to sneak out as well."

"Now that you have the manpower to do what you have to you can relax." Selina said. "Black Bat and I've got Harley and Ivy. You kids take Riddler and Two-Face."

"You heard her!" Oracle yelled. "Get moving. I want all this done by midnight!"

"Jesus, don't get your panties in a twist." Batgirl said. "Let's go." Batgirl hopped on the back of Red Robin's bike(Which he had gotten on sometime during the conversation).

"Small issue, " Scarlet winced. "I kinda crashed Jason's bike into Killer Croc so I need a ride."

"YOU DID WHAT!" Jason screamed. Scarlet turned off her comm.

"Ride with me then, Gray- Scarlet." Robin said with a slight slip of the tongue.

Scarlet smirked, "No real names in the field, Robin." She teased. He frowned and shoved his helmet into her hands

"Just get on the bike." He growled. Scarlet laughed.

* * *

"Someone please tell me that they have a plan." Batgirl groaned. They were currently on the roof of the building holding the Mayor's gala. They were outnumbered more than they were earlier, and they had civilians to save. Oh the joy.

"Actually, I think I do." Tim stated as he pulled out his mini computer. "This building is actually connected to some underground tunnels."

"You mean the ones used to set slaves free?" Batgirl asked.

"Yup, those exactly. We can use those to get the civilians out then take care of Riddler, Two-Face, and their goons." Red Robin said "And the door to those tunnels should be right in that corner. " Red Robin pointed to the corner farthest away from Two-face and the Riddler, and sitting in that corner just happened to be a familiar face.

"Talk about luck. Gordon's sitting right there." Batgirl said happily. "With him it will be so much easier getting all those Civilians out."

"Yeah, but we'll need a distraction." Robin pointed out.

"Distraction is my middle name." Scarlet said.

Red Robin looked at her seriously, "I don't think so. Your dad will bury me alive in the same grave he's going to put Jason in."

Scarlet pouted, "I'll be fine. I'll do the safest distraction ever, I swear. Besides, Commissioner Gordon should speak to faces he knows." Red Robin frowned realizing she was right.

"Fine, you can go, but Robin has to go with you." Red Robin said. "Robin, make sure she doesn't make any rookie mistakes."

Scarlet glared at the boy two years her senior, "Oh come on!" Scarlet said offended.

"Hey! until you have more than a year's experience you're a rookie, and can not go anywhere in the field by yourself without permission." Red Robin ordered.

"That's dumb, I bet you didn't even follow that rule." Scarlet said defiantly.

"I don't remember that rule." Batgirl said underneath her breathe. Red Robin elbowed her in the side to cover up her whispering.

"Fine, whatever, but you have to give me your mini computer." scarlet said.

Red Robin gave her a confused look, "Why?"

"Don't worry about it." Sacrlet snached the Computer from his hands. "You'll get it back." She promised.

"Okay, fine just go you two." Red robin said with a groan. The night had only begun but it felt like it had been forever. This was going to be a long night.

"Alright, now wait till we've gotten to Commissioner Gordon before you start taking out thugs all around, you too Robin. We don't need any premature shooting." Red Robin said. "Also don't forget to get the mayor to safety first. We don't need Two-FAce shooting him in retaliation."

"I got it, Tim. " Scarlet said into the earpiece. "Just tell me when you're in position." The only sound of confirmation was the sound of the comm link temporarily shutting off. "Alright, Robin. Megaphone please." and Robin handed her the item she requested. Oh, this was going to be fun.

* * *

"It's getting closer to midnight, and they haven't pulled anything yet." Two-Face said to Riddler.

"They will." Riddler assured. "One thing Bats are is resilient. They won't let a little thing like being trapped in Arkham keep them from saving lives. So keep an eye out, they could be here already." As the Riddler said the words Music started to play, actual classical music from an opera.

"What the hell is that?" Two-Face asked pushing the gun closer to the mayor's head.

"The habanera from Carmen." The Riddler answered quickly "But the real question is why is it playing, and who is playing it?"

"BOSS, there's someone up there!" A Thug shouted, all eyes looked up to see a young girl, up in the building's rafters.

"LADIES, GENTLEMEN...CRIMINALS." The young girl yelled into the megaphone as the music stopped. "I am Scarlet. Two-Face, Riddler, I'm giving you one chance to release these hostages or you're about to be really embarrassed."

"Who do you think you are, little girl?" Two-Face growled, pointing his gun at the girl in the rafters. "You mouthy like the first Robin, how about I beat that out of ya like I did him."

"So is that a no?" The girl asked. "Okay, then. Sorry to say this but you're about to have your ass beat by a little girl."

"Take care of her." Riddler ordered the goons.

* * *

"What in the world?" Jim Gordon asked to himself at the sight of the girl in the rafter and her demands.

PSST

Jim turned his head. He swore he heard-

PSST.

This time he was sure he heard a noise, he turned to his left and next to him he could see the bright blue eyes and a tuft of blonde hair he knew belonged to Batgirl, and the familiar form of Red Robin behind her.

"Hiya, Commish!" She whispered.

"Where have you all been?" He asked, in a hush tone.

"Long story, but we need your help." She said hurriedly. "We don't have a lot of time. Scarlet and Robin are working as a distraction while we get the hostages out. you think you can help us sneak them out."

"It'll have to be done fast and quietly. Once we get the first person down here, Robin will be shutting off the lights to make it easier for you to sneak them out." Added Red Robin.

"What about the mayor, Two-Face's got him?" Gordon asked.

"Scarlet's taking care of it."

* * *

"Hey hey wait. I'm giving you guys a chance of a life time. You should really take it." Scarlet said earnestly.

"Lite her up boys!" Two-Face yelled.

"First person is out! Shut down the light!" Went Red Robin in Scarlet's comm. As soon as the sentence was over, the lights went out and the gala was flooded with darkness. The shocked screams of criminals and civilians rang out in a short startled breath.

"I warned you." Said Scarlet gravely. She then swung down from the rafters and kicked Two-Face straight in the head knocking him from the Mayor. She flipped down from her line effortlessly to address the mayor.

"Good evening, Mr. Mayor. I'm going to need you to put on this harness." She put harness into the man's arms and waited till he tried putting it on, "Once you've got it on. I'm going to push this button and it's going to send you up into the rafters where Robin is waiting for you. He's going to be giving you some instruction that you must follow then he is going to join me down here. Do you understand, Mr. Mayor?" She asked the man nodded. "Good, then off you go." She pushed the button on his chest sending him flying towards the rafters and to safety.

Behind her Scarlet heard a low growl and quickly ducked before the Riddler could strike her with his cane.

"Have several seats." She ordered before throwing her butterfly throwers at the riddler nailing his suit and himself to the wall in front of him.

With a groan Two-face got up, "What are you morons doing!" He yelled, "Get her!" all at once the goons came after her. Scarlet prepared herself to take them on when a smoke pellet dropped from above creating a cloud of smoke blocking Scarlet from the goon's view. When the smoke cloud was gone Scarlet was gone as well.

"What are you doing?!" Scarlet hissed quietly at Robin from a top the rafters.

"Keeping you from making a rookie mistake." He said calmly. "You can't take them all on like that, you'll get yourself killed wait till Red Robin and Batgirl get back, then you can go nuts. Until then you pick them off one by one and silently." Scarlet nodded taking the piece of advice and swung to the next rafter where a poor criminal stood below watching a group of hostages. Poor thing probably wouldn't be waking up for another three days.

Robin and Scarlet took down maybe half of the numbers by the time the got the call.

"All civilians have been cleared, We're heading back up there. Make sure you guys leave some bad guys for us."

With a green light, Scarlet and Robin began openly attacking their criminals. Two minutes later Batgirl and Red Robin joined them, they were completely done 45 minutes later.

Red Robin looked at the time, "12:06. Dang I wanted to be done by midnight."

"You guys did a good job." Barbara said over the comm. "I'm proud. Black Bat just called she said she's cleared the bridge, and Nightwing said they should be in about 10 minutes. Bruce wants everyone at the clocktower when they're done."

"We'll be there." Red Robin confirmed. "Do you need anything else, Commissioner Gordon?" he asked the officer.

"We're good now kids, thanks for the help." He answered.

"No problem." Batgirl answered as all four of them launched their grapples at the building ahead. "It's what we do." Yes, saving people was what they did, and Mar'i was sure this is what she was supposed to do. Now all she had to do was tell her father that.

* * *

"According to Helena your dad's in there. Ready to do this?" Stephanie asked.

Mar'i took a deep breath. "Yeah, as much as I can be." she admitted.

"You did good work today." Tim said "Normally I'd be against it, but you were a natural out there, more so than any of us were our first night out."

"I agree. We are with you every step of the way." Stephanie said. "Right Damian?" She patted the boy on the back for emphasis.

Damian turned his head away, and stuck his nose in the air, "Your performance today was passable, but I helped train so of course it was slightly above par."

"What!? No you didn't. You didn't help train me at all." Mar'i disagreed.

"I taught you how to throw your butterflies and everything else." He countered. "Therefore, I helped train you." He asserted.

"Whatever, Jason was working that with me too anyway. Get over yourself." Mar'i proclaimed.

"You first."

"Why I oughta-"

"Enough!" Tim barked both of you inside. "Mar'i don't forget you still have to face your father." Mar'i frowned.

"Thanks for reminding me." She sighed. "Let's get this over with." Mar'i pushed the doors open to the clock tower and walked up the stairs. Unsurprisingly she found Selina and Bruce in their normal flirty state, but watching the security footage of the Mayor's gala with Barbara. Jason was in the corner nursing what looked like a soon-to-be black eye with Cassandra telling him something with a slight smirk. Canary and Huntress were laughing at Jason's injury which looked to be the only one he sustained save for his bleeding shoulder, which nobody looked alarmed at so it must not have been serious.

"You guys sure are late." Barbara said turning from the computer., breaking the ice.

"We took the scenic route for giggles." Tim answered.

"Mary, Mary, Mary." Helena started "I have to say I'm impressed."

"Same sentiment here." Dinah agreed.

Bruce turned from Selina and looked fully at the video, "You're a little erratic, and like to jump the gun a little." He commented. Mar'i looked a little crestfallen at the words of the dark knight. "But it was good work." Mar'i perked up.

"Take that to heart." Stephanie whispered in her ear. "He doesn't dish out complements that often."

Selina spoke up with the same praise everyone was giving her the only one who stayed silent was her father who had not said a word since she had walked into the room.

"You don't have anything to say?" She asked walking up to him.

He raised an eyebrow at her, "You want me to praise you on something you shouldn't have done? You want me to congratulate you on lying to me for months?" Dick snorted "I don't think so."

"But- but"

"But what? At the end of the day you disobeyed me, Mar'i, and that's not acceptable." Mar'i looked up at her father with sad eyes. She knew this was coming, but somewhere she had hoped that maybe he would be a little proud of her. "I'm upset Mar'i. I don't expect to get over this for a long time, but you were good out there, Mar'i." Mar'i looked up, shocked that her father has praised. "A little rough around the edges, but that's because Jason trained you. You are talented Mar'i, and it was almost surreal seeing you fight like that. I am, in a way, proud of you." Mar'i smiled. She had gotten what she wanted most. "But," Mar'i frowned. Buts were never good. "You are still in trouble. I am still mad at you, and nothing is going to change the fact that you went behind my back for months doing something that I explicitly told you not to do. Do you understand?"

"I understand you, I really do, but you can't keep me from this." Mar'i said. "I want to do this. I want to help, and I will do it with or without your permission. In other words, get on board or get out of the way." Nostalgia rang through Dick's head. He believed he had said something similar to Bruce and the other Justice League members when they started the Teen Titans. He smiled at her. She really was his daughter. She had his sense of justice, his smile, and his chatty nature, but she was headstrong, and knew exactly what she wanted just like her mother. A deadly combination to anyone who stood in the way of this girl's way, and that person surely wasn't going to be him.

"I was wrong to stop you from doing something you truly wanted to do, so I'll let you do this." He said finally. Mar'i was practically jumping with joy. "On one condition, you have to be my partner." Mar'i hugged her father.

"You're the only one I want to be partners with."

"You're grounded by the way." He said still hugging her. She pulled away with a shocked look. "I told you nothing will change the fact that you lied to me for a full six months. So do you have anything you want to call yourself when you're my partner?" He asked. Mar'i blinked.

"I never thought about it." She answered honestly.

"What about Starling? It's a type of bird, I thought it would be fitting." Tim called out. Everyone turned to him not expect him to answer. He's face turned beet red and turned away. "I may have been thinking about it for a while, okay."

Everyone laughed.

"Wait, how did Jason get a black eye? His Red Hood mask would protect his face form something like that." As Mar'i had said it, Helena snorted and stifled a giggle along with Cassandra.

"Why don't you ask my ever loving older brother?" Jason spat angrily.

Mar'i turned to her father, "You didn't."

"Oh, I did. He needed some kind of punishment for aiding my daughter in lying to me. So the moment he took off the Mask, I socked him straight in the eye."

"And you didn't hold back." Jason glared at the older man who only shrugged in response.

"What did you expect? I was really angry."

"I'll make sure not to piss you off again then. Damn it still stings." Jason said touching his eye tenderly.

"Wimp." Cassandra called out

* * *

"So tell me, Riri where did you happen to get that nasty looking cut on your arm." Kevin asked the next day at dance practice.

"Fell down in the yard." She answered quickly. "Not that big of a deal. I'm fine." Mar'i lied easily. She had a feeling she'd be doing more and more of that to Kevin.

"You're a lot of things, Mary, clumsy is not one of them. What really happened, and does it have anything to do with you being grounded?" Mary frowned when her dad said grounded he meant it, she didn't go anywhere but to dance practice and home since it was the summer and school was out. She couldn't even go to the Manor! Complete and other lockdown, the man had put a tracer on her for god's sake, and said if she took it off he would be adding another week to her already overly long punishment. Grounded, indeed.

"Just trust that if it were something important that I would have told you okay, Kevin." She said. He stared at her intently for a moment before determining that was enough for now.

"Come on let's work on the routine." He said. She nodded and went to start the music when a familiar buzzing got Mary's attention. She walked over to her dance bag and pulled out her phone.

"I'm sorry, Kev. I've got to go, family emergency." Mar'i said in a rushed tone as she packed her dance bag.

"What! Mary, you can't miss practice!"

"Sorry, but my aunt fell down the stairs, we think she's got a concussion. I'll make it up to you with a first place trophy at our next competition! Don't snitch on me, bye!" and she promptly closed the door leaving what ever Kevin was going to say now useless.

He sighed, "What am I going to do with her?"

* * *

"Alright, I'm good. What's up?" She said into her phone.

"Looks like some robbery close to you." Oracle said. "Your dad's on the way."

"Good, I'll be there in two minutes" Mar'i pulled out a black and purple uniform from her back, and smiled.

Starling was born.

* * *

_Final notes: _

_Word Final word count: 10,051(WTF) _

_This is honestly the longest chapter I have ever written in my life, but I needed the first arc to be 6 chapters. Mary's not Nightstar yet, if she were this origin story would be over! and I have so much more left of Mary's story! I played with a lot of names for Mary's vigilante persona, one of them was yes, Nightingale, but I decided against it last minute. Origins: Nightstar has about 3 more arcs after this not all of them being 6 chapters but some will be. Sorry this chapter took me so long. I kept having to start over because I lost internet and my computer was being stupid. I hope everything was up to par with the rest of the work. I'm running on nothing because i've been working on this story for days now._

_Special thanks to Victory Goddess, ArsenalMadness, and a guest for their reviews! Don't forget to Review/Follow/favorite!_

_Well this arc of Mary's life is now over, onto the next one. _

_Next chapter, Nightwing & Starling. _

_ ~Miyu K. June 25, 2014_


	7. Nightwing and Starling 1

_**Bold Italics= Flashback **_

_Italics=author's note/final notes_

* * *

**Nightwing & Starling 1**

_The Thief Odile_

School was something Mar'i had grown to tolerate. Just like any child, Mar'i did not like school, but she tolerated the horrible place because her father asked her to. It wasn't as hard as a transition as it could have been she had Kevin and the other dance studio children to help and Gotham Prep didn't seem all that bad. That didn't mean that children didn't talk. It wasn't as bad in the elementary section, but the high school and middle school seemed to be hung up on Bruce Wayne's granddaughter attending their school.

"Mini Grayson!" A voice called out to here. It was of course Damian who continued to call her that horrible nickname. "Alfred is here to get us. Let's go." He ordered. Mary sighed, it seemed that her dad had told him to watch out for her in school, not that she minded, but still she could take care of herself.

"I'm coming, Damian. Do you have to scream at me every day when it's time to go home?" Damian only gave her a look that she easily read as 'Are you stupid?' and sighed. Damian and her got along just fine, but even she sometimes needed a break from his Damianness.

"Damian, can you help me with my english homework?" Mary asked as she got into the car. She was careful not to show anything in the skirt she was wearing on Tamaran people didn't care about that, but on earth when lady's wear a skirt they have to keep their legs closed. Mar'i really didn't understand why, seemed like a foolish notion to her.

"Fine, what do you need help on?" See they got along fine, if she needed anything he would help her and vice versa, but one wouldn't say they were close...Yet.

"Diagraming sentences." Mar'i answered. "I told my teacher I've never done anything like that, but she said I was lying and she refused to help me. She doesn't believe me when I say English isn't my first language." Damian snorted.

"Well, you do speak it perfectly. Sucks for you then. English isn't my first language either, but I still do fine in the class. What do you have in the class a 'B'?" Mar'i glared at the older boy.

"Yeah, but you had tutors to teach you all the technical stuff about English. My mother only taught me to speak it properly, so of course I'm going to stink at it." Mary said pointing a finger in his face. "Plus, at least you lived on planet. Tamaranian is so much more different than english, a lot of english words, english words I need to know for class, don't exist in the tamaranian language, so excuse me for not doing as well as I could be doing in the class!"

"Geez, sorry." Damian apologized though not sincerely. "I didn't know you were that touchy about it."

Mar'i sighed. "I didn't mean to blow up at you like that. I'm just frustrated. All the other subjects come easy because they're mostly the same as on Tamaran. The math is the same, so is the science. History is different, but that's just memorization, and I've read enough books to know most of the history anyway, but english continues to serve as my weak point.

Damian clicked his tongue, "Tt, Fine. Tiny Grayson, I will help you on whatever you need to know about the subject of english. Have you told your father about you struggling in class."

"I still have a decent grade so he doesn't ask questions besides, He's busy with work as it is. Gotham is very different from Blüdhaven." Mar'i said looking out of the car window.

"Okay, so I won't tell him. You know I think you're the only one of us to ever get a 'B' in any subject." Damian said with a smirk. She turned back to him and glared again.

"Shut up. You sound so stupid. You know Cassandra didn't even go to school, she had private tutors. Stop trying to make me mad and help me with the friggin english homework." With that Mar'i threw the english book hard into the boy's lap which he of course caught. Then something happened that Alfred himself knew happened very rarely, Damian Wayne laughed. A real laugh, not one of his condescending laughs, but a laugh like he truly thought something was funny. Looking back into the mirror Alfred found out what it was. It seemed that outside of her domino mask Miss Mary wasn't all that menacing looking. In fact the look of anger she was currently giving the young master was quite cute. Yes, this warrior princess who could probably kill a person given the chance and lack of morals was cute. She still had a slight baby face that she would most likely grow out of by the time she turned 11 and dimples that her father had when he was young. All in all, she was almost too cute to believe that she swung around roof tops at night, she looked too innocent to be the type, though she tried to act scary. The moment the girl puts on a domino mask it was like a switch, she could be as intimidating as her father, and all the others. Mary definitely had the idea of secret identity mastered. To the public eye, Mary Grayson and Starling were completely different people.

* * *

"Hey, Riri," Kevin greeted happily. "You actually made it to practice on time. I'm so proud." He hugged the girl

"Oh whatever. Has Ms. Michelle finished our routine?" Mary asked not bothering to escape from the boy's embrace.

"Yeah she has, teaching us the rest of it tonight. Are you sure you want to do this, I mean this is a hip hop piece. I thought you would stick to Ballet and lyrical."

"I needed a break from the norm, besides wants us to broaden our horizon." Mary pushed the boy off her her finally, He had always been clingy like that, Mary didn't mind because honestly she was clingy like that too, but Kevin was worse. When the time came to it though, Mary could hug a person to death. Jason swears she gets it from her father.

Kevin frowned, "Ms. Michelle said I couldn't teach you! Can you believe that! She trust me to teach you ballet, but I can't teach you hip hop." Kevin complained.

"It can't be that bad." Mary said looking on the brighter outlook. "Who's teaching one of the paid teachers or a student."

Kevin sighed, "I don't know. I hope a teacher though, because all of the older girls hate me."

"That we do." Agreed the girl that walked in. She had short black hair in a bob cut, and wore a black swan necklace around her neck.

"Kitty?" Kevin asked almost outraged. "You can't be teaching us. You haven't even been dancing that long!"

"Not ballet anyway," Kitty corrected "I've been dancing hip hop for years."

Kevin glared at the girl while Mary only smiled and nodded.

"You know, Michelle was really pushing us to try hip hop, why is that what's the deal?" Kevin asked with narrowed eyes something was off he could feel it.

"You caught me." Kitty held up her hands in surrender. "Michelle wants you two to join The Revolutionaries." Kevin gapped at the girl with mouth wide open.

"Us, join The Revolutionaries?" Mary asked "I thought that only kids 14 and older can join, and I am no where near to that."

"We want to make an exception for the two of you. You two have been dominating competitions lately, and we think that we should reward you for that."

"But we're lyrical and ballet dancers, for all you know we might not even be good enough for The Revolutionaries, I mean has The Revolutionaries have never not gotten first place?" Kevin asked. Kitty paused before answering.

"We want to believe that you two deserve this, but like everyone else you have to make your way onto our team. If you place at the competition with this routine we'll let the both of you onto the revolutionaries a whole 4 years early, 5 for you Mary. Don't make us regret giving you this chance. So are you both in, or not?"

Kevin and Mary looked at each other for a moment a silent conversation passing between them, Kevin looked a little skeptical while Mary gave a look of excitement at the area they could cover. Eventually Mary smiled her way into getting Kevin to sigh and agree.

"We'll do it." He said evenly. "Riri believes that this is a good chance and even if we don't make it, we should at least try. I'm comfortable where I am, but Mary's the boss." He shrugged his shoulders. "So what's this routine that's going to get to get us into The Revolutionaries?"

Kitty smiled, "Have you ever seen the Addams Family?"

Kevin nodded an a now interested yes, while Mary gave a confused look

"What's the Addams Family?" Kitty gave Kevin a questioning look while He just returned it.

"Doesn't matter, Riri. We'll watch it later. She's not really from this country, Kitty. She won't understand any pop culture references unless they've already been shown to her."

Mary frowned, "I do know some." She claimed. "I saw those Hungry Games movies."

Kitty stifled a laugh while Kevin corrected her, "Hunger Games, Riri."

"Okay, first thing on our list is to watch the Addams Family, you should watch it in order to play the part well, for now though I'm going to teach you the routine." Kitty announced. "Okay first off this is going to be really creepy feeling so you have to-"

* * *

"Alright, great you two. If you don't get first place Then the freaking competition is rigged. You guys pick up routines faster than most people I've danced with." Kitty praised.

"Thank you." Kevin and Mary answered in unison. Mary was being held up in Kevin's arm and quickly tapped his shoulder to let her down, which he did very gently.

"You guys were made for hip hop, you sure you don't want to do it full time?" Kitty asked jokingly. Kevin made a slightly disgusted face while Mary laughed. He liked hip hop but ballet was his first love. "Joking, Kev. Anyway the next part is where your acrobatics come into play. Mary, you're-" A phone ringing cut her off.

Kevin turned and glared at his partner.

"It's not mine!" Mary shouted in her own defense.

"It's mine," Kitty said, "Give me a minute." Kitty walked over to her bag and pulled out her phone and answered in english, then quickly switched to Russian.

To bad for Kitty, both children in the room spoke Russian, Mary for obvious reasons and Kevin because his mother spoke it. Sadly, she didn't realize from the worried faces on both children that they understood her phone conversation.

"Sorry kiddies," Kitty said with a forced smile. "Duty calls. I'll teach you the rest tomorrow. For now you guys can go home, but be here on time tomorrow."

"Yeah, we'll be here." Mary and Kevin turned to each other again, and both had the same idea floating in their heads as Kitty walked out.

"So, we're following her, right?" Kevin confirmed.

Mary gave him an unsure look, "I don't know, Kevin. It sounds kind of dangerous. May be we shouldn't go at all." That was a lie Mary was going, but not with a civilian.

"It's either you come with me or I go alone, Riri, your choice." Definitely not an option. The phone call sounded serious… almost the kind of serious her family took care of during the night.

"Kevin, are you sure. I really don't think we should go."

"Like I said, I'm going with or without you, Riri. I want to see who made our Katya leave out of here like a bat out of hell. You coming?"

Mary sighed, "Fine, let's go." It was in her job description to go, but bringing a civilian? Mary was going to lose all sorts of points. Boy, he father would pitch a fit if he ever found out, twice goes for Bruce.

They followed Kitty out of the Conservatory, and all over Gotham till they got to the east end, close to crime alley.

"Kevin, maybe we should go back now. Your dad will be there to pick us up soon." Mary said trying to convince the older boy to leave.

"Already got it covered." He answered with his signature smirk, "Oh lovely, Riri, I already called him and told him we'd be out a little late. He said not to worry because he had some more work anyway."

"Kevin, I'm seriously not okay with you-"

"Look she's going into that bar!" Kevin ran after the girl but stopped round the corner so not to be spotted. Kitty talked to man at the door before he let her in.

"How are we going to get in there, Kev. It's not like they're going to let a nine and ten year old into a bar."

"We don't need to get in through the front door." Kevin answer easily. "Thank, God. This is Gotham and in the city there are bound to be fire escapes." Kevin ran round back of the bar and to no ones surprise there was a fire escape, and at the top of the building was a conveniently broken window.

"Mary, I'm going to boost you up like we did it that one jazz routine, remember?" Kevin said looking at the tall fire escape.

Mary nodded and prepared herself. In reality she didn't need Kevin's help to reach the fire escape, but she couldn't tell him that. As if she were a cheerleader Kevin boosted her up far enough to climb up onto the fire escape so she could drop the ladder down for him.

They smartly climbed to the top window in silence for fear of being caught. Mary reached into the window, unlock it and they both climbed inside.

"Alright this is the part that gets interesting-." There was a sharp pain to the back of his neck, and Kevin fell to the ground out cold.

"Sorry, Kev. It was the only way." Mary said looking down at the boy with sad eyes. She didn't want to knock him out, really, but he had forced her hand when he didn't chicken out from the adventure as she had planned.

Looking around Mary took notice of her surroundings. The room seemed to be used only as storage meaning she only needed to hide Kevin. He wouldn't be waking until long after all of this was over and she would just tell him he passed out after practice and it was all a dream. Tip toeing around the boy's fallen form Mary crept out of the room and down the stairs. Kitty was on the third floor, that's what the large Russian man at the door had told her. Kevin couldn't have heard that but Mary with her superior hearing could.

Mary only needed to get close to hear whatever specifics were going on because from the phone call she just about knew what was going on. Thank god for Tamaranian super hearing right

**_"Hello? What do you want, Dimka?" Kitty asked as soon as she answered the phone._**

**_"You know what I want, Katya." The man answered. _**

**_"Don't call me, Katya." she growled quietly before looking back at the two children behind her offering a small smile. "I am teaching a class. Make this quick, Dmitri." _**

**_"The heist needs to be done tomorrow night. I've got a buyer. You can do it, yes?" _**

**_Kitty sighed, "Dimka, I don't know..."_**

**_"Katya, Katya, poor young little Katya. As your older brother, I work hard to put you in the best schools and pay for your dreams such as that dance school you love so much. I only want this tiny favor from you, Katya. You're very talented at what you do, Katya. I'm only using this talent to get what I need done." _**

**_"You want me to commit a felony so you can get a little cash." Kitty said unsure._**

**_"No." He said a little outraged at the idea. "I want you to commit a felony for a lot of cash. Come by the bar, we'll discuss details then." _**

**_"I'm busy at the moment." Kitty mentioned again. _**

**_"I don't give a shit. Get here or your little dance school is getting treated to my favorite cocktail, Understand?" Kitty willed herself into staying neutral in her face. _**

**_"I'm coming, I'll be there in half an hour." _**

**_"Good." And Dmitri hung up. Kitty put on her best fake smile and turned back to Mary and Kevin. _**

**_"I've got to go. We'll finish this tomorrow." and like that Kitty took out of the room like a bat out off hell._**

* * *

The climb down the stairs was much easier now that she didn't have Kevin with her. Don't get her wrong because of his years of ballet he was much better at stealth than a lot of super heroes, but she needed him to at least on par with someone in her family. Mary was sure getting this information would score her some points with Jason. He had been complaining that some new Russian guys were trying to get on his turf, now Mary could get him some more info. After all, She was entitled to help the man who taught her. Not only that, but this could be the answer to the passed cat burglaries the last couple of weeks, ones that Catwoman claimed not to have a hand in. To be fair, they hadn't really had the time to deal with these simple thefts. Bigger fish to fry and all, but Mary wished they could stop all sorts of crime no matter how petty.

Mary was about to check to see a way to see into the room when she had heard voices coming from down the hall. With no place else to run Mary hid in the room closest to her, and dived behind the desk hoping that they wouldn't find. This was a lame hiding place, but until she was sure what exactly she was dealing with it would have to do. Luckily the knock on the door wasn't for the room she was in, but the room next door. She heard muffled voices speaking in Russian until she had heard a voice she knew.

Kitty!

Mary had lucked out and choose the room adjacent to the room Kitty was now meeting her Russian mob contact. How did Kitty even get in this situation, anyhow? From the sound of the earlier phone conversation it was obvious she was Russian, but that didn't mean she was apart of the mob. Mary could hear the conversation leave the pleasantries and enter serious discussion. She had to see what was going on in there. Looking around the room she spotted her savior, a vent. One of the first things Jason taught her, A vent is a bat's best friend. They are perfect for escape routes, not to mention entrance into a place where you probably won't find security. But in this case Mary couldn't use it for access into the other the room, not that she wanted to go in there. Were she caught that close Mary would be dead, but even if she wanted to use the vent it was too small for her to fit through. She could still use it to gage the situation still. Pulling out a long but thin cord with a small screen from her pocket, Mary began to fish the cord through the vent. The cord had a small camera attached to end so Mary could see who exactly was making Kitty do something illegal. Finally Mary had found the room, and with it she could see a clear shot of everyone but the head honcho sitting at his desk back turned to the vent.

"So this information from Ferris is perfect. We'd have Langley eating out of the palm of our hands." Said a brute.

"No, we won't." Kitty clarified. "I'm stealing the info so you can sell it. Let me guess, Dimka, you are not that ambitious?"

Dimitri or the man sitting at the desk, chuckled. "Ever correct, my sister. Out of the two of us you have always been the better thief. We could sell this information to the highest bidder, and set our place in the big leagues here in Gotham." Sister? That explained why Kitty would steal stuff for this man. At least she wasn't a lover convinced this man loved her and wasn't using her. "The file will be at it's most vulnerable tomorrow night, you'll go then. Are we clear, Katya?"

"Crystal." Kitty said through her teeth as if she wished she could say something a little less that respectable to her brother. "I'll have it done, but this is the last time, Dmitri! I have worked too hard to be caught up in this life now! Not when I've worked so hard to leave it!"

Mary couldn't see the man's facial expression, but did see the wave of his hand, "Please, Katya. You do not just runaway from what you were born into. Accept your fate, Katya, The sooner the better. For you and your little dance studio." Mary probably palled at the same time as Kitty. He planned to use the studio against her. How low, but then again what did Mary expect from an up and coming mob boss in Gotham. "This will get us at the top of the map with Joker, Two-Face, and the others, now that we've taken care of that Red Hood."

...Wait, what?

And as she thought the words, A soft beeping came from her pocket. Crap! That was the emergency signal most likely coming from Jason. How the hell did these guys get the drop on him anyway, and why didn't he activate the signal earlier? Jason could be so hard to deal with sometimes. Mary cursed herself trying to stop the beeping, while hoping none in the other room could hear it.

"Quiet! What the hell is that sound?" Oh big crap! Mary silenced the emergency signal, and quickly pulled the the cord from the vent. She had about 4.3 seconds at the most to get the hell out of there, but going down the window they would see her and surely give chase. 2.6 seconds. Under the desk? No, they would find her and kill her in a heart beat. .5 seconds. Time was up, and the Group of men lead by Dmitri entered the room to find it empty.

"Check everywhere!" He barked orders at his men. They checked the mostly empty room but found nothing, still Dmitri was suspicious. He checked out the window and found no one on the ground below, nor anyone climbing the building up. To the sides he only found windows. Content that there was probably nothing there to begin with Dmitri ordered his men back to their post, not so much as sparing a glance into the room. It wouldn't have helped anyway as Mary wasn't in the room. The floor above a window Air conditioning unit stuck in it, and on top of that out of sight was the young Mary who peered out making sure the coast was clear before moving on. She needed to get to Jason, fast. Retrieving Kevin from the room they had broken into earlier, Mary put him in a cab before waking him up telling him that she was sending him back to the studio, and that she'll see him tomorrow. Of course, he protested, but his only answer was a car door slammed in his face. Putting on her Starling uniform in record time, she quickly informed everyone that she was on her way to Jason, and would meet up with the rest of them soon.

* * *

Jason cursed as he heard a loud thump coming from upstairs. He really wished those Russian Wannabes hadn't taken his arsenal away from him or else he would have just sent for one of the other to come and get him. They probably thought he was dying, since it was the emergency signal, but in reality he just didn't have another way of contacting them. He couldn't move or risked puncturing a lung, again, then he would be out for at least another month, and he was not about to go through being benched so soon again.

"Hood?" The women who saved him said looking up at the ceiling at the noise.

"Don't worry about it," He said to comfort her, "I'm sure it's just a friend of mine knocking out one of your daughters." The woman turned to him with scared eyes. "That's a good thing! They probably don't want to be seen here aiding me. They won't hurt you're daughters, they probably just used knock-out gas." The woman still regarded him cautiously. He sighed. This woman really saved his ass. Rosario as he later came to find out her name, is an Afro-Latina, shop owner in the east of gotham. Compared to other stores she had it really good and made a decent amount of money, not to mention she was under the Red hood's protection.

"Mom!" One of Rosario's daughters came running in, Lina he believed her name was. "The girls, they were-" With the sound of gas being released around Lina she fell to the ground, and stepping around her was the young, Starling. Purple and black costume similar to the one Nightwing wore, but fitted more for a feminine body. Her long black hair was braided coming around her shoulder and hanging there.

Starling surveyed the room quickly before fixing her domino masked gaze at Red Hood. "What the heck, Hood! I thought you had been captured or worse!" Jason almost laughed but the pain in his chest stopped.

"I'm just seriously injured is all." Jason assured. "Now can you take me to the clinic I think I may have broken a rib."

Mary lightly put her hand on his chest causing him to wince. "Maybe a lot more than a rib. Where's your car? I can drive you back."

"Around the corner, you should be able to find it." Hood said as he stood up leaning against the young girl, who could surprisingly hold his weight.

"Wait, Hood! What about my daughters-"

"They'll be fine." Starling cut her off. "They should all wake up within the hour."

"And what about those-" Rosario never to to finish her question as Red Hood sprayed the knock-out gas in her face causing her to fall to the ground.

"Thanks for the help, Rosario. We'll be in contact." Then the two vigilantes left.

Rosario woke up to all four of her daughters standing above her, only waking up minutes before her asking what happened. The eldest Lina kept quiet for good reason, and Rosario simply said that the dinner she had made them must have been bad. A lie, but ignorance is just another form of safety. The Hood though he protected her store she knew him to be dangerous, a criminal. So why was he working with Nightwing's sidekick? Rosario stopped herself. Best not to think too hard on these things before she figures something out that could get her killed.

* * *

"Okay, explain to me why you took a civilian into the HQ for the new Russian mobsters?" Nightwing asked his daughter.

"Well, really I didn't take him, he brought me." She clarified. Nightwing frowned and Starling winced. Not a good sign.

"I don't care who suggested to go along it was dangerous to bring him there, Starling! Our job is to protect the lives of innocents not endanger them."

"I tried to talk him out of going, I swear, but he said that if I didn't go with him he would go alone! He could have been killed if he went alone, so I went with him and put him out of commision when things got too dangerous. Plus, I planned on going anyway, I think I got a lead on those thefts that have been happening the past few weeks." Starling stared at her father. She didn't like it when they butted heads like this. It didn't happen often, only usually when she did something unconventional. Which was a lot.

Nightwing sighed. Truly, that was the best thing that could have been done in that situation, though she could have knocked him out before they got to that point, he can't really be mad, besides they have work that needed to be done.

"So what did you find?" Nightwing asked turning back to the computer in the bat bunker.

"Well, the thefts and that new Russian mob that's been bothering Jason are connected, and the thief pulling these heist is one of the dancers at my dance studio." Nightwing turned to her eyebrow raised. "I know, that's the same face I made. She's been stealing from the Gotham elite and museums and giving to the mob to sell among the the underworld. Over the past few months they have really climbed up in the underworld. They've been trying to steal territory from Jason, as well. They're the reason he's had a bunch of broken ribs."

Nightwing thought over what Starling had just told him, "I hate new and upcoming crooks. They think that they can take out the A-listers and move up in the underworld, very annoying, especially when they try to kill a hero. So what are they trying to steal now?"

"According the the conversation I just heard, information, but I think it's something big." Nightwing raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you say that?"

"They said and I quote, 'Langley will be eating out of the palms of our hands'. Langley is a common nickname for the CIA. What do they have that will get them a get out of jail free card with the CIA?"

"Good question, but honestly none of our business." Starling frowned. "Don't give me that look. I'm curious as well, but honestly the closer we get to CIA information the more we overstep our bounds as vigilantes. We need to get this information back to the CIA." Nightwing started typing on the computer pulling up a file on his CIA informant. A picture of a redheaded woman with blue eyes. Starling's father certainly has a type. The name on the computer read Evelyn Dracson.

In good judgment Starling didn't not comment on the woman's appearance instead returning the focus to the theft taking place tomorrow. "They plan on taking the info tomorrow."

"We can take them down then, Blackgate sure is going to be full of Russians."

"Wait, the girl performing the thefts, she's under coercion. Isn't there something we can do about that?" Starling asked. She liked Kitty, she really did.

Nightwing turned to her and patted her shoulder, "She made her choice she she decided to help the mob out. She could have left at anytime, Starling. If she commits the crime and she gets caught by the police there is nothing we can do. We'll have to take her down."

"But it isn't black and white like that!" Starling protested. Kitty was a good person, but her brother wasn't. It wasn't her fault.

"You're right, but even still." Nightwing paused. "I can't tell you how many times I have dealt with this situation, someone I liked, or even loved turns out to be involved with some sort of criminal activity. I had to go through it with a multitude of friends, girlfriends, and family." Though he left it unsaid it was clear who he was talking about, Jason, but Jason wasn't the only one who had strayed from the path, Cassandra had, so has Damian. Tim's time was probably coming. But what does one do in this situation? Betray that loved one and turn them in? Turn a blind eye? Reform them? Starling didn't know, but she did know one thing Kitty didn't deserve prison. She was just born into the wrong situations. Nightwing sighed, "Listen, I'll let you make the decision as to what happens to the girl. Each of us has had to make that choice time and time again. Heck, Bruce still makes that choice with Selina everytime she tries to steal something. You have to learn this lesson for yourself, it's not something I can teach you. You have until she's in police custody to make your choice, alright?"

"Alright." 24 hours to let a theft go free, or but her behind bars. When said like that the choice sounds easy, but when so much is at stake was it really that?

* * *

Three in the morning most of Gotham even the criminals were asleep. Even the vigilantes were doing they're last rounds of patrol before heading in for the night, and on her couch in her apartment sleeping was Kitty Collier, real name Katya Rasputin. Russian born thief of the up and coming Russian mob. Though she was very reluctant. Coming to Gotham for a fresh start she thought she could leave her family business by moving in one of the busiest cities in the world, no one would notice a school aged girl trying to keep her head down, but still her brother had found her. Using her dance studio as leverage he has been making do petty thefts and selling them at auctions to Gothams A and B list criminals. Thefts go from Jewels to weapons to information. Started activity 3 years ago at age 13. Thief Alias: Odile, The Black Swan.

That's what her file read. It seemed that Catwoman had run into this girl a couple of times, but did not deem her a threat in order to stop her. Her file was made from these encounters and the very little she told Selina during their encounters. The girl was about 13/14 when she had meet the Catwoman, but still she remembered her none the less. Kitty remembered being quite frightened by the older woman. She apparently didn't like people on her turf, understandable but still frightening. Starling had asked Catwoman about the girl, who did say she remembered her and agreed with Starling's sentiment that she didn't really deserve Blackgate. She could take care of herself there, but they both didn't want the teen to end up there. But what could Starling do? If Kitty does the heist, She has to bring her down. Oh, what to do what to do. If only the sleeping Kitty knew the amount of stress she was bringing the young girl.

Kitty's breathing became softer as she started to wake up. She quickly jolted up from her place on the couch and stared out onto the fire escape. "I know you're there, come out." She ordered.

"You're good." A voice floated into the room, "but not that good." As the lights turned on it was revealed that Starling, the origin of the voice, was not on the fire escape, but sitting on the kitchen counter eating some of her yogurt.

"Hey!"

"Sorry!" Starling put down the yogurt. "I saw the yogurt in the fridge, and I had to take some! I love yogurt!" She chirped. Kitty eyed the masked girl anxiously. Was she for real?

"You're one of those bats, aren't you? What are you, Nightwing Girl? Night Chick?"

"Starling! It's Starling Is that really so hard! I mean everywhere I go, it's always, 'Are you the new Batgirl?'" Starling's braid swung behind her back as she jumped off the counter and onto the floor. "I mean do they not see the nightwing symbol? Maybe I should have called myself Night-Girl or something or the other, at least they would get my name right in the papers. Well, it could be worse I could be Red Robin. People are still confusing him for Dr. Midnight. He's the smartest guy I know, but comes up with the least creative names ever and a horrible costume. Well, then again he works with Batman, I mean The Batcave, The Batmobile, The batcomputer, The batplane. Don't even get me started with him, I swear to god if we'd let him he would name his utility belt the Bat Belt. He almost did, I'm not joking. The man can intimidate Superman himself, but he is so corny you could almost die from the sheer embarrassment alone. This one time I was working with him and Robin, and it turns out he has a-"

"Umm, I would love to hear more about our Dark Knight's quirks, but what is a bat doing in my house?" Kitty asked. The girl's mouth ran a mile a minute.

"I came to talk to you, of course." Starling answered curtly. "I came to find out what a good girl like you is doing working for the mob." Kitty froze. "Didn't you really think I didn't know? I mean Why else would I be here?" She asked rhetorically. "Also try to keep your body language under control. I'm reading you like an open book." She pointed out. "You keep bouncing your leg, you're nervous, but not just because i'm here and you're a thief. I'm guessing it's stress from the heist you have planned tomorrow. Yes, I know about that, as well. You plan on giving the Russian mob government secrets to sell to other more powerful criminals for a quick buck, but you don't want to do it." Kitty turned to Starling in surprise. "I can tell. You're a good person, Kathrine. You don't have to do this."

Kitty shook her head, "No, the studio. They'll attack the studio if I don't do it."

"The studio is under my protection. Nothing will happen to it, so you can choose without any other force causing you to choose their side. Will you not give the information, or will you give it to them causing all sorts of damage?"

"But he's my brother..." Kitty started. "This has been my family business for years."

"But it doesn't have to be yours. You can make your own choices now, Kitty, but realize if you do continue with the heist I will be forced to take you down. Are we clear?" Starling asked.

"I understand." The phone rang causing Kitty to turn her head upon answering it and telling the person to hold she looked back up to find Starling gone. "I hope I make the right decision." From the roof tops Starling hoped she would as well.

* * *

The next day, unsurprisingly, Kitty did not show up for practice leaving Kevin and Mary to practice the bit they had learned from the day before.

"Real talk, Riri, what the hell happened yesterday when I passed out?" He asked.

Mary shrugged. "When we got into the building you hit your head. You passed out I carried you out and took you to a cab, remember." Mary said calmly lying to her best friend smoothly. She didn't like doing it, but it needed to be done.

"I remember that, but why did you push my into a taxi and order me home? That was a little weird, I mean you didn't get into the taxi with me, like you wanted to stay in on the east end. Also, how do you know your way around Gotham's east end. You just moved here like a year ago, and Your grandad is Bruce Wayne, you shouldn't even need to touch that side of Gotham let alone run around like you knew it better than your own home." He was almost too good, but luckily a little truth mixed in with a lie should do the trick.

"Actually, Bruce takes some of us to place his parents died each year." This was a lie, but honestly what Gothamite didn't know the tragic tale of Bruce Wayne who lost his parents at such a young age. Bruce preferred to be by himself when he visited the place where his parents died, and leave a pair of roses. She had only been there once when she had asked Bruce around the time she first got to Gotham why they did what they did. He had explained to her the story behind what created Batman, and how Batman inadvertently helped mold the rest of them. It was in that moment that Mary truly felt like Bruce was family to her. He had been nice to her, but kept a safe distant from the new addition. "Plus my Uncle Jason had called he knew I had snuck out and came to get me. Talk about major trouble, I've been grounded for a month."

Kevin gave the girl a skeptical look, "That sounds, pretty plausible, but then again so do all your other excuses. You're hiding something from me, Riri. I'll find out what it is eventually." Mary paled because honestly he just might. "Don't worry though I'll wait until you tell me. Whatever it is though I hope it's important enough to keep from the people you care about." If it wasn't you would know by now, Mary thought, you would be the first person I tell.

Before Mary could answer him back with another lie her phone rang.

"Just go." Kevin told her, "Family emergency, or whatever. I get just go." It broke Mary's heart, but she smiled a grateful smile at him before she sped away. It was a shame that her leaving with lame excuses had become such a norm that Kevin didn't even ask for an explanation anymore. Either way, she couldn't think about that right now because Mary's life had to be put on hold while Starling came out to play.

* * *

Kitty Collier had made her decision. She had chosen her brother, after all he would choose her, right? Stealing the info from the computer in the Ferris building wouldn't be that hard. Security would always be a pain in the ass but she had scored the CEO's passcard so the odds of not getting caught were in her favor, or they would have been if Starling's promise wasn't looming over her.

_**"But realize, if you do continue with the heist I will be forced to take you down. Are we clear?" Starling asked.** _

Kitty had a sinking feeling that the young vigilante would keep her promise, and that it wouldn't only be the young girl coming to take her in. Starling would bring Nightwing, or worse Batman. He wouldn't have any mercy for her, after what her brother did to the Red Hood, he wouldn't hold back on his petty thief of a sister. Kitty was scared and rightfully so, but she still needed to do this if not for her, then for her brother's love.

_**"But he's my brother..." Kitty started. "This has been my family business for years."**_

_**"But it doesn't have to be your's. You can make your own choices now, Kitty." **_

Of course now of all time's Starling's words would ring through her ears, right as she was about to download the information for Dmitri. Kitty took a deep breath and began downloading the information. It was now or never.

Up in the rafters hiding in the shadows was one of Gotham's best, Nightwing, and at his side the ever faithful, Starling. They had quietly watched as the girl snuck into the building and made her way to steal the information. Nightwing pulled out a Wing-Ding ready to stop the girl from taking the download.

"Wait." Starling stopped him. "You said I have till she is in custody to make my choice whether to help or not, right?" She asked her mentor.

"Yes, I did, but I thought you talk to the girl last night?" Nightwing asked not taking his eyes away from the young thief below them.

"I did, just give me all my time." Starling answered cryptically. "I want to see what she does once she has the information." she clarified. Nightwing nodded understandingly and watched with his young protégé as the young girl finished the download and snuck off into the night.

"Come on." Starling urged, "We're about to take care of the thief Odile, and the Russian mob in one swoop. Jason will thank us later." Nightwing grinned at the prospect. This would do a lot of good to Gotham, and stop Jason from getting whatever aspect of revenge he had in mind for them.

"Let's go." Nightwing agreed, and as quietly as they arrived they left without so much a trace that they were even there.

* * *

"Katya, Katya!" Dmitri greeted his sister with a grin and a hug. "I knew you could do it! See I never lost faith in my oh-so-talented sister."

"I got the info, no issue. Dimka, is this really alright? After this you won't threaten the dance studio anymore, right?" Kitty asked. Looking at her brother with hopeful eyes. She was still in his embrace. It felt good to have her brother on the same page finally.

"Of course, my sister! It's good to have you back. Now with this we can truly become Gotham's worse." Dmitri held out his hand in order to retrieve the drive, but Kitty just stared at him.

"What do you mean, good to have me back, Dmitri!" Kitty almost yelled outraged.

"I thought I was going to have to disown you with the way you were acting, Katya. Trying to reform, and all of this normal life nonsense. I had hoped this would pull you out of that faze."

"Faze?" Kitty echoed. "Disown me? What are you talking about?" Kitty asked voice rising with each word

"Stop it, Katya, this is our fate. Whether you like it or not you are a thief. You had been acting so, so cantankerous I had no idea what to do with you. I was going disown you, but our uncle in Russia stopped me saying it was probably just a faze, and our father went through the same thing when he was your age. I'm glad with a slight push you're out of it now, and we can be a family again."

"Disown me?" Kitty echoed again. She sounded like a broken record mind unable to process "Disown me! How dare you!" Kitty slapped her brother right in the face. "I would do anything for you, Dimka! We are blood, and blood does not give up on blood like that. You Zmey! You serpant! You snake! You don't do that to family, even after I left I would have run back to you at a moments notice because I love you, Dmitri. Disown me? No, how about I disown your treacherous ass. I got this information to prove I still love you, Dmitri, even after everything, yet you stand there and tell me you were about to disown me. You terrible, Dmitri. I knew that yet instead of doing something I ran, now I won't let you hurt anyone else, not with the information I got for you." Kitty put the drive on the ground and stomped on it breaking it into little pieces. "If you want the information so bad, go and get it yourself. I'm done with you, Dmitri."

"Couldn't have said it any better myself." A deep voice said. Looking around they finally found the voice's owner to be none other than Gotham Vigilante, Nightwing, and behind him waving at the girl was Starling with a big smile on her face.

"As true to my promise, we're bringing you down, Kitty." Starling announced. "You and this whole organization."

Dmitri turned to his sister, "You brought them here!"

"Hell no! I'm not a betraying bastard like you!" She screamed back. "Go ahead, Starling. I can see now you were right, and I've made my choice. Goodbye, Dmitri, if you every truly need something I'm only a call away." She could never fully turn her back on him. Dmitri was family, and while he maybe ready to leave her behind she could never do the same to him.

"Katya!" He screamed as she walked away. "Katya! Get back here! Don't walk away from me! Katya! Katya!" He screamed in vain as she was gone.

Starling tapped his shoulder politely breaking him from his screaming fit. "So, sir, how are we going to do this? Easy way or hard way?" she asked.

Dmitri pulled out his gun and aimed it at Starling's forehead, "You little bitch!"

Starling sighed, "Hard way it is then." And she promptly kicked him where the sun don't shine, and as he fell to his knees writhing in pain she punched him in the face knocking the hysterical Russian out. "They always choose the hard way don't they, Nightwing?"

"That they do." He agreed and together they proceeded to take out the trash.

* * *

"Hello, Hello, Hello again!" Starling chirped. Kitty was surprised how the girl ended up sitting on the edge of the roof before her after she had just saw the girl taking down her brother's mob.

"Starling!" Kitty said in surprise, "What happened to Dmitri?" She asked. She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried about him.

Starling frowned, "He's in police custody. He's looking at a lot of years in Black Gate, Kitty."

"I know." She said. Silence followed before Starling broke it.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked. Secretly she had hoped Kitty would stay and continue to be a member of the dance studio.

"I don't know, but I know I can't stay here." She said looking at the night sky. No stars, she noticed. You could never see stars in Gotham. The city was too bright. Kitty never realized how much she had missed them since she had moved here.

"What? Why?" Starling whined. "I like you. You should stay!" Starling answered honestly. Kitty chuckled.

"You act very old for your age, but you have to be about nine. I catch a glimpse of that age, but then it goes away like it's too scared to come out. I meet another little girl like that. She has the air of a princess, and is beautiful like a star. You remind me of her, actually. My only regret is that I will have to leave her and everyone else. I won't be able to see them grow as dancers. I won't be able to see that girl perform the dance I choreographed. I never even finished teaching her the dance." Kitty looked at starling. "I have to go because my brother will most likely send people after me. He may be in jail, but he still has connection. My best bet is to get out of the country. Paris, is a thief's favorite place I hear."

"Do you need anything?" Starling asked truly concerned. "Plane tickets, money, new identity, I can get it for you." Kitty laughed.

"No, thank you. You have helped me more than you ever know. I need to do this on my own now. Goodbye, Starling, and again thank you." Kitty jumped from rooftop to rooftop away from the young vigilante, and Starling watched till the girl was out her horizon.

"Do you think I did the right thing, daddy?" Starling asked as Nightwing came into view.

"I think so, you helped everyone you could, and stopped a mob from gaining power in Gotham. You've done good work, Starshine."

"What about, Kitty. She has to start all over now. She can't stay here with the people who truly care about her."

"People come and go, Starling. Kitty just happen to be one of those people. Now she is going to find a place on her own and find new people who care about, and she will be fine. She's strong, she'll bounce back in no time." Nightwing said.

Starling hugged Nightwing and looked up at him, "You really think so?"

"I know so." He assured with a smile.

"Great." Starling released him from the hug before diving off the side of the building, " Then, last person to the Bat bunker is a rotten egg!" She sang. NIghtwing dived after her. Sometimes you have days where nobody gets hurt, and he was glad today was one of them.

* * *

The next day when Mary had gotten to dance practice everyone was crowded into Ms. Michelle's office, all reading a parchment over her shoulder. Ms. Michelle had tears in her eyes, as did some of the older dancers.

"Mary." Someone whispered her name. It was Kevin. "Over here." He beckoned her into the corner. He didn't look all to happy infact he looked rather upset.

"What's going on?" Mary asked. "I thought we had dance practice? Why are we all in here?" Mary whispered.

" just got a letter on her desk from Kitty. It says she's not coming back ever." Kevin informed. So, Kitty did say goodbye at least in some form to the people at the dance studio.

"Really!?" Mary asked feigning to be shocked. "What happened? Does it say why she left?"

Kevin shook his head, "Not really, just says it wasn't safe for her to stay with us, and that she needs to strike out on her own. She did say something about the two of us though."

"What did she say?" After hearing what Kitty had to say last night, she was curious as to what she would address to her.

"That I need to keep my head from getting too big, and that you, Mary, will be the brightest star that Michelle Bissonette's Dance has ever had. That's some complement, Riri. She's only really meet you once, I wonder what you did made her remember you so much?" Kevin mused. Mary to wondered if Kitty had figured out her secret identity, but the brushed off the thought. If she did know, then Mary doubt she would tell. Kitty was a good person, and where ever she is now she's going to be doing something good. That Mary was sure of.

* * *

_Final thoughts: _

_FInal word count:9,359(still a WTF) _

_I know it took me a while to write this. Honestly, i wrote this all together in about 2 days but those days were spaced out. I only planned to take a week off, but then my mom dropped the ball that I was going to orlando for a vacation with my cousins. There was internet but it was incredible slow I didn't want to risk the chance of writing all of that and something go wrong and it doesn't post. Also, Thanks to Victory Goddess for her review. No, really thank you, last chapter was probably my worst view wise, but your review helped me get past that. _

_Also I noticed that while doing research that the new 52 has everyone's ages screwed up, __So, I do have a list of everyone's ages and birthday's along with Zodiac signs. Damian actually doesn't have a canon birthday as of yet, so I gave him one. Mary's is in December! She seemed like a winter baby to me. These ages are the starting ages for everyone from the beginning of the story. _

_Bruce: Age(42) Pisces, Feb 19_

_Barbara: age(29) __Aquarius, Feb 18 _

_Selina: Age(39, not that she admits it) Aquarius, Feb 2_

_Dick: Age(26, making him 18 when Mary was conceived) Aries, March 21(He's a spring baby remember!) _

_Jason: Age(20, yes canonically Jason is about 6 years younger than Dick) Leo, Aug 2 _

_Cassandra: Age(19, I liked her better younger than Jason, I believe that she is actually older than him) Aquarius, Jan 26 _

_Stephanie: Age(18) Leo, Aug 18 _

_Tim: Age(17) Cancer, July 19(Jason, Steph, and Tim are summer babies) _

_Damian:Age(10) Aries, April 15_

_Mar'i: Age(8) Sagittarius, Dec 10 _

_Alfred: Age( infinity) he doesn't age, He is immortal_

_Now all of these birthdays are canon except for Damian and Mar'i. Time has skipped since these ages, they are about a year to two years older, actually by next chapter it will be two years. I hoped these helped finding these and doing the math for the ages took a full night of me not writing. _

_Next chapter: Night of Owls _


	8. Nightwing and Starling 2

**Nightwing & Starling 2**

_Night of Owls _

The family in front of the screens watched intently as the dark haired Ballet dancer did her first solo number. The song was some Emo rock band noise with a fast pace and lyrics that screamed about injustice. The music here was not what the family was focusing on. It was the beautiful ballet dancer hitting every beat with a kick of her leg, a flip, or a turn. Absolutely flawless. The crowd cheers as she leaves the stage. The picture on the screen changes to a hip hop duet with the same girl, and another young boy. It was a hip hop dance, showing off the girls acrobatics, and break dancing. The picture changes again, but this time it is not of the beautiful dancer. Instead it's Gotham's newest vigilante, the young Starling, as she flips into the air grabs a young boy from falling out of window, lands, and returns him to his mother. Her long black braid swinging ever present behind her. The family members looked towards each other, all giving approving nods. It had been decided. The head of the family takes a black leather bound book from the table beside him, and on a clean page writes the name Mary Grayson, then crosses out the name before her, Richard Grayson. Welcome to The Court of Owls our new Talon, Mary Grayson.

* * *

_Happy birthday, Damian._ Mary thought quietly as she sat in the chair of the Batcomputer. She looked at the time. Yes, Midnight. It was Damian's birthday, but he was too busy at the moment to notice. Busy having another screaming match with his father. It seemed the older the now 12 year old got the less and less Bruce could control him, though he had always had a hard time with that. Puberty, according to Jason anyway, was causing Damian to act wild and rebellious. Mary could honestly see it. Damian, if possible, had gotten even more brooding and Bruce was at his wits end. He couldn't deal with the boy, not now anyway. Damian had been sneaking out, missing patrol, skipping school. Things that Bruce had to deal with Dick doing at this age, Damian was now echoing, and Bruce has had enough.

The current argument was over the fact that Damian had skipped out on the first part of Patrol. Batman had a mission planned for them, and Robin not being there really messed up the plan. Still, the mission had to go on, and that was why Mary was sitting there watching this fight. Starling had taken his place on the mission, and things were going well until he came barging in thinking Batman had gone in alone, and had almost gotten all three of them killed. Boy, did Bruce let him have it when they had gotten back to the cave. Mary had to admit, she was a little upset, but when Damian had started yelling back at his father Mary had lost her anger. She hated it when they fought, mostly because of the tension afterwards. Most of the time, when they got like this Mary and her father would excuse themselves as soon as possible, or Dick would stop the fighting himself with a quick comment to Damian, but tonight Dick was not there.

"That's quite enough of that, Master Bruce, Master Damian." Alfred's timing had always been perfect. "Master Bruce, I do believe you have work that need to be done, and Master Damian you and Miss Mary have school in the morning. I suggest you both go and catch as many hours of sleep you have left." Not needing to be told twice Mary booked it up the stairs and out of the Batcave, but Damian and Bruce seemed to have gotten into a staring contest, neither one ready to give up. "Now." Alfred ordered. At the same time both Wayne's broke the harsh glare they were giving each other, and headed to their respective places.

Alfred sighed, If only they realized how alike they are, if only.

* * *

Alicia Royal stepped onto the Gotham Prep's campus. The school would have to do, for now anyway till she got what she wanted. The ten year old followed the man who had introduced himself to the young lady as the principle. Alicia smiled, this was going to be all too easy.

"Alright, that is everything you need to know about Gotham Prep, Miss Royal. You'll be shadowing a student for a week till you get the hang of things around here, is that fine with you?" The principal asked the young girl.

"Do you have any new students who could show me around, " Alicia asked shyly, "If it isn't too much trouble. I've never been in a school before I've always had private tutors, so excuse me if I'm a little nervous. A new student would help me feel more comfortable because they know what it's like to be new." The principle regarded the girl with pity. Poor little thing, probably doesn't have any friends her own age, the principle thought.

"No worries my dear, I'll see what I can do."

It turns out that the most recent entrance to the grade was over a year ago, she wasn't new anymore, but she would do.

* * *

When Mary Grayson was called to the office she sighed out loud. This was the fourth time this week. Every time that Damian snuck out, and skipped class they would call her out of class. Question her to death as to if she knew where he was, which she never did Damian wasn't an idiot he would never tell her even if she cared enough to ask. Where ever he was going she hoped it was worth the fights with his father. She really hoped Damian would grow out of this faze soon, because she was missing something important in class, and she refused to be behind.

"Alright, I can already tell you, that whatever idiotic thing, Damian has done or gone to I have no part in. So, can I just go to class?" Mary said as soon as she walked through the door.

"That's all well and fine, Miss Grayson, but we didn't call you here for that." Mary looked up in surprise to find another young girl her age sitting in the principle's office. Her hair was as pale as moonlight and her eyes were Hazel. When looking into her eyes Mary almost found herself drowning in them, as if they were sucking her in. She was a very pretty girl, but Mary wondered why she was in here if it wasn't because of Damian?

"I'm so sorry." Mary apologized. "I shouldn't have assumed something like that. What is it that you need?" Mary asked politely.

"This is Alicia Royal. She will be attending our school, and as asked if someone would let her shadow them for a few days so she can get a feel for the school. You don't mind, do you?" the principal asked. Mary looked the girl in her hazel eyes, and was agreeing before she even thought about it.

"Great!" Alicia smiled a big smile at her. "I can already tell we are going to be the best of friends"

Mary immediately smiled back, "We are going to be the best friends!" She answered quickly. Mary stopped. What? she thought to herself. She only just meet the girl and was proclaiming that they were going to be best friends. Mary didn't even get along with girls in general, she had more guy friends then she could count, but the only girl friends she had were from the studio. How can this girl already have Mary liking her? Mary brushed it off. The girl seemed nice enough, why not try to befriend her. Maybe her body recognized her wanting the girl as a friend.

"Good." The principal said. "You can take her to class now, Mary. Make sure everyone is nice to her."

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem. Mary, will take great care of me, right?"

Mary found herself answering before she even thought about it, "Of course, I will take care of you. Don't worry we're going to be friends just like she said."

"See." Alicia said. "We should get going. Come along, Mary." And obediently Mary followed out behind the girl.

The whole day Mary found that she was rather fond of the new girl, Alicia. Alicia was always praising her, and telling her how amazing she was, and with each compliment came such an amazing feeling that whenever Alicia asked Mary to do something Mary would jump at the chance to do it. Alicia was such a good friend, she showed Mary how to put on make-up, and how to flat iron her hair, and all the things Mary thought to be frivolous, but now Mary wanted to do everything Alicia wanted to do. Mary was in a dream, and it was wonderful. Alicia was amazing, and Mary wanted to be just like her.

"You have such a wonderful face structure." Alicia commented. "If we were at my house with all of my make-up I could really show you how pretty you are with it. You are so beautiful, Mary." With the compliment came the high Mary had been craving.

"Thank you."

"You must come over after school." Alicia ordered. "I have to introduce you to my family." The cloud Mary had been floating on the whole day seemed to disappear at the mention of after school. Mary shook her head clearing the imaginary cobwebs from her mind. Why has the whole day seemed to be hazy like a dream you can't remember?

"I-I-I" Mary struggled to remember why Going to Alicia's house after school was such a bad idea.

"Mary!" Another voice called. Running up was Kevin Thompson. "You're coming home with me today, remember?" He said, and suddnely it all came back to her. It was friday. They had a competition tomorrow. Kevin's dad was driving them to Manhattan for the competition.

"Yes, I remember now." Mary said. "I can't believe I forgot. I'm sorry, Alicia, I can't come after all." Alicia frowned, not at all pleased that mary had a prior engagement. Mary found she didn't like it when Alicia frowned. It seemed odd on such an angelic face.

"That's fine for now." Alicia said displeasure dripping through her tone. "We can make plans when you come back." Alicia looked at her watch. "It seems that it's time for me to take my medicine. I will see you in class, Mary?" Asked as a question, but it sounded like an order to Kevin's ear.

"Of course, Alicia." Mary answered, and the blonde girl walked off.

"What the heck was that?" Kevin asked once they were alone. Mary gave him a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"The whole, 'of course, Alicia.' thing" He said mimicking Mary's voice. "Come on, Riri. You've been glued to that new girl's hip since she walked in this morning." Mary glared at her best friend.

"Her name is Alicia!" She snapped. Kevin held his hands up in surrender.

"Sorry, I know. It's just weird. Mary, you came into class with this glassy look in your eyes, and introduced her like she was your long lost sister or something. Is everything alright? I'm not going to lie, I'm a little worried." Mary's glare faded at the young boy's concern.

"I'm fine, and I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just that Alicia is really nice, and you should get to try to know her a little better." Mary said. She was oddly over protective of Alicia all of a sudden.

"Okay, I'll try for you, but I make no promises. Something about the girl just rubs me the wrong way." Kevin said.

"I think you're just being paranoid, but thank you for at least trying to be her friend." Mary smiled at him.

"Paranoia is good. It keeps you alert." Kevin said with a grin.

Mary groaned, "You sound like my grandpa." Kevin laughed.

"That's something Bruce Wayne has said?" He asked. "Just what kind of a man is he?"

"A very complicated one," Mary said with a sigh, "Let me tell this one time..." And the two walked down the hallway laughing at the stories they shared. With one look one could tell that Mary Grayson and Kevin Thompson were the closest of friends, and Alicia Royal who was watching the two intently frowned.

This boy is going to be a problem she thought to herself. Alicia didn't like sharing, but it didn't matter soon she would have Mary all to herself, and nobody would be able to stand in her way.

* * *

The next week Kevin had kept his promise and was trying to befriend Alicia, but it seemed she didn't want him to be her friend.

"Why are you even here, you flunky?" She said once Mary was not in their presence. Kevin glared at the girl.

"So, the snake in the grass shows it's true colors? I was wondering when you were going off of good behavior?" Okay, so he hadn't been trying that hard. "Where was Mary yesterday, she didn't come to practice." Kevin asked. "I'm guessing she was with you."

Alicia smiled a sly smile at him, "Of course she was. Jealous?"

Kevin laughed a sarcastic laugh, "Why would I be jealous of a two-bit ugly, bleach dyed wannabe. I just want to know what you want with Mary?" he said seriously.

"What I want with her?" Alicia feigned innocence. "Why, I want nothing more than her friendship. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes," Kevin answered bluntly "You can't be after her money, the powers may not be as rich as bruce Wayne, but you still have money. You can't be after social ties for the same reason, your family is as old as the Waynes, so answer me. What do you want Mary to do for you? It has to be something that only Mary can do alone." Kevin deduced.

"You know I don't understand why someone as great as Mary hangs out with some low stature, money grubbing, low life whose family got rich stealing from the original families of Gotham. It's a pity, someone of Mary's league shouldn't even be allowed anywhere near you scum. I mean look where the Thompsons are now, only one son who flunked the 6th grade, I mean how stupid can you get?"

"Hey!" Kevin screamed standing up catching the attention of everyone in the lunchroom. "You listen here, you rich manipulative, little bitch! Yeah, I may have flunked the 6th grade but I had my reasons. Also, leave Mary the hell alone, I don't know what exactly you want from her but if you hurt her I swear to god I will fucking kill you! And I don't need any grief from some girl, who thinks she knows me, about my family! Go to hell, Alicia Royal!" The sound of something hitting the floor brought Kevin out of his rage. Turning her found Mary standing there opened mouthed.

"Kevin?" She asked in disbelief

"Mary, It's not what you-"

"Oh, Mary he's been so mean to me the past few days," Alicia to Kevin's surprise now had tears streaming down her face as she cupped her face in her hands as she bawled into them. "I didn't know how to tell you because I knew how much you liked him, but he's been so horrible. See? You heard him right? He's been telling me mean things like that all week. Mary, I can't stand it anymore!" Alicia wailed.

Normally, Kevin might have applauded Alicia on her acting skills because right now she was so believable that he almost believed he had been bullying her for a week. Honestly, she was so good, she could win an oscar, but he was so pissed that he didn't realize her plan before. Alicia Royal had fucking baited him into a fight knowing Mary would walk in just at the right time, well wrong time for Kevin. Oh she was good, but kevin wasn't having any of this Mary would be pissed at him for a while but he'd rather that then let her fall into this girl's hands.

"You baited me!" Kevin screamed at the girl.

"Mary, he's trying to push everything on me! I haven't done anything wrong. I told you, that he was from a family of thieves, and murderers! You can't trust him!" That was the last straw. Kevin would have ignored the comment, but no one talks about his family like that. He wasn't going to take that from anyone, especially not this girl trying to steal Mary away from him. He raised his hand to slap the girl straight in her face but found it suddenly pulled behind him threatening to break.

"Don't you dare touch Alicia!" Mary said as she pulled back tighter on his arm. Kevin winced in pain.

"Mary, you have to listen to me-" But before he could finish she pushed him away, and he landed hard on the floor.

"I don't want to hear it." Mary growled as she looked down. "You hurt Alicia, Kevin! You promised to be nice to her, but you lied. Now, you'll stay away from Alicia." Mary kicked Kevin straight in the face hearing the satisfying crunch of his nose breaking. "And you'll stay away from me."

* * *

"What do you mean she broke Kevin's nose!" Dick yelled on the computer the screen. He was currently on video chat with Bruce. That didn't sound like Mary at all. She loved the boy to death. Dick had meet him once or twice, sweet kid, with a good heart, and watches out for Mary. Really, couldn't see why Mary would ever try to hurt him.

"I was surprised, as well, when I heard it. I thought she and that boy were close?" Bruce said.

"They are." Dick confirmed. "Since day one. Mary was always 'kevin this and kevin that'. She wouldn't hurt him."

"Unless he did something to her." Bruce said. "She was protecting a new student from him is what the school says, but still this seems very out of character for her to hit anyone outside of uniforms. She's very good at keeping the two separate when she can." Bruce mused. She had been acting odd lately, skipping Dance practice, acting spacey. Not her usual self.

Dick sighed, "Tell her she's off of patrols till I get back . Where is she now?" Dick asked.

"In her room, crying her eyes out. I don't think what she did really hit her until we got back to the manor. She says she barely even remembers doing it, that it's all kind of hazy, but that's normal in a fit of rage."

"True." Dick nodded in agreement. "Still, watch out for her, Bruce. I'll be back next week. Cass and I still have some work to be done here, when I get back I'll really look into this. Bruce only nodded as the screen went dark. Bruce had a bad feeling, and if there was one thing he learned after all these years is that to trust your gut. Bruce reached into his pocket, and pulled out his phone.

"Hello? Selena, yeah. I need you to look into something for me. Your usual fee, of course. Just keep your ear to the ground for something major. I know, Thank you." And Bruce hung up. Yes, something was happening deep within Gotham and he was going to find out what it was.

* * *

"Wait, Mary!" Alicia called out to the girl who continued to avoid the girl in the hallway. "Mary, please talk to me." Finally Mary turned around.

"What?" She asked angrily "Because of you I hurt Kevin! I don't know what you did, but I don't think we should be friends anymore, Alicia." Mary said. After thinking about it at home, Mary had wondered what had changed in her life to cause her to hurt Kevin. The only answer she could think of was Alicia. Everything was fine before she showed up, and then she came in between the two of them. Mary should have never let it happen. Kevin probably would never forgive her, and she wouldn't blame him if he hated her now. Only one thing was clear, Alicia was a big problem.

"I didn't do anything, Mary." Alicia said. "You kicked him all on your own. I wonder if he'll ever forgive you." Mary bite her lip. "But don't worry, Mary, I'm still here for you." Mary turned around and started walking away.

"Yeah, I'm going to pass." She said.

"Come one, Mary we were so good together. You were so perfect. Don't let this one little thing ruin our friendship."Mary could feel her mind getting hazier and hazier the more she talked to Alicia. "Don't be angry with me. Please, Let's be friends again."

"I won't be angry at you." Mary said words flowing out of her mouth as if she had forgotten yesterday's events. "We'll always be friends, Alicia." The words said as if they were rehearsed for a play. No real emotion behind them.

"Good. Let's walk to class together." Alicia ordered lightly with a smile.

"Of course, Alicia." Mary said that glassy look returning in her eyes as she followed the blonde girl down the hallway.

Around the corner watching careful was none other than Kevin, nose swollen but other than that he was relatively fine. Kevin had hoped to talk to Mary, get her out of Alicia's clutches. Mary was almost free, but it seemed she couldn't escape Alicia on her watched intently as Mary did everything that the girl asked her to, and seemed quite pleased and happy doing it. It was like Alicia had drugged Mary or something, kevin thought. Something was wrong, and Kevin knew he couldn't save fix it on his own.

* * *

Mary had skipped dance practice for the 6th time in a row to go to Alicia's house. Alicia's house was no where near the size of the manor, but still it was large. Alicia's family seemed to adore Mary, and treated her the same way that Alicia treated her compliments that gave Mary that slight high. The ones that made her want to do anything to please these people. They were so nice to her, and so sweet. She wished they were more people so when she got to Alicia's house she found it being set up for a grand party.

"Alicia, I see you brought Mary." Mrs. Royal said with a smile. Mrs. Royal was the definition of a trophy wife, long legs, blonde, and a pretty face. She looked a lot like Alicia, and they had similar personalities. Mary liked her. She liked all of the Royals actually from Mr. Royal to Alicia's younger brother, Roy. Mary loved all 6 Royals, they were good to her so in return she must be good to them.

"Hello, Mrs. Royal, What's going on? Are you setting up for a party?" Mary asked.

"Oh, yes we are." Mary was about to excuse herself to leave, but Mrs. Royal stopped her. "Honey, you must stay. You are so amazingly beautiful that we must introduce you to all of our friends. Don't worry about what you have to wear, you can borrow one of Alicia's dresses. Please stay, I insist."

Mary only blushed, and stuttered a thank you before running up the stairs after a grinning Alicia. Mrs. Royal smiled, Oh yes, Mary was perfect. She was sure of it.

The party had started a couple of hours after Alicia and Mary had gotten home from school. The whole party seemed to be infatuated with Mary, giving all sorts of praises and compliments, and Mary loved every minute of it. They were all so polite, and Mary's head was spinning. All she could remember were the smiles, the smiles that blurred together as the compliments came. Mary could feel her love for this crowd growing and growing as the hours went on, but Mary was missing something. She had to go home soon, she remembered. Curfew, yes her curfew! She needed to get home before curfew.

"Ali-Alicia," Mary could barely get the girls name out, "I-I Home, Leave-curfew." The words seemed to escape the ability to make functioning sentences, the chatter in the room grew making Mary dizzier. Curfew, Bruce would be upset if she missed Curfew.

"Leave?" Alicia asked as if the thought was outrageous. "Oh no, Mary, You can't leave just yet. Don't you love it here? You love it here, you want to to stay with us." Alicia said.

"I love it here. I want to stay with you." Mary echoed back. She completely forgot about her curfew that she was now sure to miss.

Alicia grinned, "Great, but there's only one way you can truly stay with us, Mary, is if you pledge your allegiance. Don't you feel good, don't you love it here? You can stay with us forever. If you don't pledge we can't stay with you. We love you so much, Mary. Do you want us to leave?"

Mary panicked. Leave? No, not an option. She couldn't leave. She didn't want to leave. She loved it here with everyone. If they left here, she could never feel so good again. The sweet bliss, would be gone from her forever.

"No!" Mary shouted. "Don't go. I'll do anything! Please don't leave." Mary begged. Alicia gave a sly cat-like smirk.

"Come with me." Alicia led Mary to the back room. The room was dark only lit by candles, and in the room stood people, people from the party though now they had on white mask covering their face. "Mary, has agreed to pledge." Alicia told the people in the room. They said nothing only watched as the Alicia pushed the girl into a sit in front of them. They watched her as if she were something to eat.

"Mary Grayson, You must pledge allegiance to us, to serve us, to please us, to follow us in all things forever. Mary Grayson do you take the pledge?" Mary was too far gone to turn back now. "Do you pledge yourself Court of Owls?" Mary said nothing looking towards Alicia for confirmation on what to do. Alicia nodded, and Mary accepted the goblet being handed to her. "Then, Mary Grayson, drink and become our new Talon." Mary didn't hesitate because with this she could stay with them. She could be forever with the court, they loved her as she loved them.

"Let us usher in a new age within Gotham City, The age of the Court. The return of the Court. The Death of Batman!" It was done. Mary Grayson would become the new Talon, and the Courts revenge against Batman has begun.

* * *

The change was almost instantaneous. Mary, in a day, had turned into Alicia with black hair. Mary traded in her trademark large green bow for a thick, white headband, and she had gotten horribly pale. Pale, as if she had not seen the sun ever in her life. Not only had Mary changed in physical appearance she changed in personality, as well. The few friends she did have she no longer spoke to, after three days Kevin had enough.

"Mary!" He grabbed the girl as she was walking down the hallway by herself. He pushed her into a corner away from prying eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked. "I thought you were done with Alicia? You haven't been to practice and we have a competition this Saturday, Mary. Tell me what's wrong, please." Kevin begged. Mary glared at the young boy.

"You'll get me in trouble if you don't let me go." She said. She struggled in his hold but he only held on tighter.

"In trouble?" he echoed "with who?" Mary didn't answer him. "What is that little devil child doing to you, Riri? That's it I'm telling your dad, Damian, , somebody! That you've been acting weird, something is wrong with you. What is Alicia Royal doing to you?"

"Is that anyway to treat my friend, Kevin Thompson?" Alicia Royal said. In surprise Kevin let go of Mary, and she ran behind Alicia as if hiding from Kevin.

"I'm not going to ask this again, Royal pain in my ass, What are you doing to Mary?" Kevin hissed.

Alicia caressed Mary's face in her hands, "I've only perfected her. She's fine." Alicia then addressed Mary, "And you I thought I told you to stop talking to this filth."

"I-I-I'm sorry, Alicia. I was getting your books from your locker and he surprised me." Mary squeaked. It was out of character for her to act this timid. Kevin was disgusted at the sight of the Mary before. THis wasn't his Mary, his Mary never squeaked. Mary was too confident to be timid like that.

"I don't won't you're pitiful excuses! Why didn't you break away from him, and follow orders?"

"I-I-I couldn't" She stuttered. "I would have had to actually hurt him to do that, and my father said-"

"I don't care what your father said! I told you to do something and you better do it to the best of you ability! You act like such filth! I won't allow it!" Alicia raised her hand as if to slap Mary across the face. Mary closed her eyes bracing herself for the reprimand she had gotten so many times in the last couple of days, but it never came. Kevin just in time had stopped Alicia midway from striking Mary in the face.

"How dare you try to hit her." and in response he backhanded slapped Alicia the same way she was about to do Mary, but before he could tell the girl for the last time to leave him and Mary alone, Mary's hand made contact with his throat, hard. Kevin gasped for air while clutching his neck in pain. She had jabbed him in the neck. Mary had actually jabbed him in the neck. Kevin almost couldn't believe it. She seemed so scared of Alicia a minute ago, but was now protecting the girl who had almost slapped her. Kevin was sure this wasn't the first time this week that Alicia had reprimanded the girl this way. Mary didn't even like to play fight, let alone let anyone hit her. Something was wrong. Kevin was scared, really scared. This is worse than I thought, he thought to himself.

"Well, we'll see you in class, Thompson, that is when you can get a hold of yourself. Maybe you should go to the nurse for that cough." Alicia advised sarcastically. Kevin glared at her as she took Mary and walked away from him, but before they were out of earshot he heard Alicia whisper to Mary.

"Remember who you belong to, girl. You belong to the court, but most of all you belong to me." It was officially Kevin was sure that girl had done something to Mary. Something that normal people couldn't deal with. Kevin needed Batman, or maybe Nightwing, hell he would settle for Robin, but he had no way of contacting this masked men, so he went to the next best thing.

* * *

After class Damian Wayne was surprised to see Kevin Thompson standing by his locker in the third year's hallway. He was supposed to be in the first year hallway of the middle school section. Damian deemed Mary had brought him with her. She probably forgot her homework in his school bag again, or maybe she wanted his help after school, but oddly Mini Grayson was no where to be found.

"Thompson." Damian greeted. "If you're here Small Grayson must not be far away." but when Thompson looked up Damian knew something was wrong, and if Kevin Thompson had came to him that meant something was seriously wrong. Something was seriously wrong with Mary. "What happened to Mary?" Damian asked now invested in what Kevin had to tell him.

"I should have mentioned something earlier, but I didn't think it was this serious." Kevin looked around in a frantic paranoid way. He was scared, but the question was, of what? "Have you noticed Mary acting different?" Thompson asked. "She hasn't been coming to dance practice or hanging out with any of her usual friends." Kevin informed.

Damian raised a skeptical eyebrow, "So? She decided to change friends, and she grew out of ballet. Your point?" Though it was news to Damian that Mary wasn't going to dance practice like she said she was, she was probably just going through a phase.

"About two, maybe three weeks ago a new girl joined our class, and she's been glued to Mary's hip. Since This girl buddied up to her, Mary's been acting weird. Skipping dance, not talking to any of her old friends, breaking my nose." Damian gave him a surprised look. "I know, I know. She broke my nose like a week or two back. Anyway, the list goes on. Something is really wrong, with her. She's been letting Alicia hit her, and tell her what to do. She's like a puppet."

"Wait, What makes you think this new friend of Mary's is hitting her? She wouldn't let anyone hit her." Damian said.

"She did. Well, almost did. The girl Alicia Royal was going to slap her and Mary just closed her eyes to take the hit. Mary doesn't even like to play fight!" Thompson proclaimed. This was a lie. Damian knew that. Mary very much enjoyed fighting, but the whole secret identity thing meant keeping some talents locked away from public eyes, even if that eye was your best friend. "She's not right, this Alicia Royal. She watches Mary like Mary is a brand new toy she just has to break. I don't like it."

"Okay, but other than just talk to her what could I do?" Damian sighed. This honestly just sounded like school drama. "Unless you know something else?" Damian asked. He had to make sure this wasn't anything serious. He owed Dick that much.

"When they were leaving, I heard Alicia Royal whisper something into Mary's ear, and that's what really made me come here to talk to you. She said, that Mary belonged to her and to the court." There it was, and Damian froze. This wasn't good. Grayson wasn't coming back home till tonight, and the court? What Court? Damian prayed it wasn't the same court he was thinking about. _"Beware The Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadow perch, behind granite and lime."_ Kevin Thompson started.

_"They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them or they'll send The Talon for your head."_ Damian finished. He eyed Kevin thompson carefully. Yes, it was The Court of Owls. "You are too smart for your own good. You've put yourself in danger by figuring this information out." Damian Grabbed the arm of the younger boy. "We need to get you out of here before they come for you." Kevin's arm suddenly went limp. Damian turned to find the knocked out one the ground. Damian carefully examined the boy's body and found a small dart embedded in his neck. Damian sniffed it. It was a sleeping agent. Damian was on high alert. The court was back. He hated fighting them. They had bad mouthed The league of Shadows, not that Damian supported them or anything, but even still he had lived more than half of his life there, and they had taught him most of what he knows, and they had to be great teachers, or at least half way competent in order to train him. Damian's hand slapped the back of his neck. He had stopped the dart, but not in enough time. It had nicked him just barely, but enough. He could feel sleep coming to him, and his vision started to grow fuzzy, but before he blackout a familiar voice walked up.

"We can't have him ruining Lady Alicia's plans. Tie them up properly then throw them into the harbor. They won't be any trouble to us that way. I can't have these two warning Wayne of his upcoming death. The element of surprise is major in our mission." It was Mary that stood before him. Her skin had grown even paler and her eyes were now an eerie gold.

"Mary,"Damian choked out before passing out. "Don't-"

"Sorry, but Lady Alicia's and The Court's orders. I would have spared the boy if he hadn't been causing such a fuss, now he's caused you an early death. I hope you enjoy drowning, Damian Wayne." She said curtly "Take them now. I know how he works. When he wakes up he'll be out of those ropes faster than you can kill him. Actually change those ropes to chains." Mary ordered. She smirked, a cruel smirk. It was time for a new age in Gotham. The time for the Bats has ended, and now the Owls shall rise again. It was glorious. Today will be the day, The Court of Owls returns on top.

* * *

"Selina!" Dick had called out in a hush voiced. He heard the shifting of movement and coming from the shadows was Catwoman herself.

"Dick?" She asked unsure. When she got a good look at him she ran to him. "Thank god." She cried. "We need to go now!" NIghtwing raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's going on, Selina?" Dick asked generally worried. He looked Selina over. She had obviously been in some kind of a fight. One of the ears of her cowl had been torn off, and her goggles cracked. She was also bleeding heavily from her head. She definitely had an concussion, luckily that was the only serious of injury. Her only other injuries being the deep cuts covering her skin.

"Bruce asked me to look into what was going on behind the scenes. It turned out to be a lot worse than I thought. It's The Court of Owls!" She said. Selina froze and Dick knew why. "You know for such highly praised assassins they sure should move a little more quietly."

"You'll have to excuse them," said a surprisingly young voice. "They're still in training. We had to take them out early, but don't worry. We've trained them to deal specifically with the bat problem this city has. Take them down."

Nightwing turned to see a young girl about Mary's age ordering the talons around her, "Richard John Grayson, son of John and Mary Grayson. You were supposed to be our next Talon, but that's fine. We've found a suitable substitute, and I must say, I've grown rather fond of her." Nightwing stared at her with wide eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He growled.

"Oh don't worry, you'll be joining your daughter soon." The girl comforted. "She's on a special little mission for us, but when she's done with Bruce Wayne she'll come back to take care of you." With a flip of her pale hair, the girl began to walk away. "Oh, bring Grayson with us when you're done." She ordered. "You can leave the cat here to die. I don't care. " and she was gone.

Before she was even out of sight, the Talon began their attack. Dick threw Selina his comm, she was in no condition to fight. "Call Batman!" He yelled as he dodged a knife thrown at him. "Then get out of here! we're outnumbered, and you're too injured to keep fighting." Selina opened her mouth to say something, but Dick cut her off. "Until, you can stop the bleeding from your head, Don't you dare start fighting unless you really have to. Bruce would actually care some if you were to die."

"Fine." She snapped, not at all pleased. "I'll just stay here, and not help- DICK MOVE!" She screamed but in vain. As the knife embedded itself into Nightwing's left knee. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground as Selina quickly called Bruce on the comm before being taking down by a Talon that came up behind her frantic state. Another knife embedded itself into Nightwing's other knee as he tried to move toward his fallen friend.

"Don't worry, Grayson." Said one of the Talons. "Lady Alicia wants you alive. We'll take good care of you." They promptly kicked the vigilante in the face knocking him out.

Bruce wouldn't get there in time, not this time.

* * *

"Hey, wake up." Kevin Thompson heard a voice not so gently bringing him out of sleep. "Asshole, Jesus fucking Christ, I swear to God. I will kill you right now if you don't fucking wake up right now, Thompson." The voice was none other than Damian Wayne. Kevin opened his eyes to see they were not in school like he last remembered but someplace he didn't know, and he was chained back to back with probably his least favorite person. From the window he could see it was now night. What ever put him to sleep must have been extremely Oh... Now he remembered. He felt a sharp pain in his neck before sleep took him over, before that he was talking to Damian about- Oh shit, he thought to himself. They were certainly in some trouble if they were taken by who he thinks they were taken by.

"Where the hell are we?" Kevin asked.

Damian rolled his eyes, not that Kevin could see. "Of course you wouldn't notice the smell of the harbor. We're in a boathouse on the docks. How simple can you get?"

"Really?" Kevin asked completely outraged. "I really don't need this crap from you, too." Kevin sighed. "Okay, so we have been kidnapped by the most dangerous people in Gotham since the beginning of time." Damian snorted. He was the most dangerous person in Gotham, definitely not this old loons. "What are we going to do?"

"We'll have to escape." Damian said simply.

Kevin gave him a surprised look, "Escape?" he echoed. "How the hell are we supposed to escape? I don't know if you noticed but they are dealing with two kids here. There is no way we can escape before they throw us into the harbor." Damian paused before nodding his head and agreeing.

"You're right." He said. Kevin did a double take.

"Did you just admit I was right." Kevin laughed. Damian glared at the younger boy, or at least tried to from his position.

"Shut up, Thompson. I want you to listen very carefully. I assume that in about 3 minutes they will come and toss both of our asses into the harbor, and if you don't want to drown I suggest you shut up and listen." Damian said seriously, "As of the moment, I can't reach the lock pick in my back pocket.-"

"You have a lock pick on you?" Kevin cut Damian off.

"Didn't I say to shut the fuck up." Kevin grew silent. "When they pick us up to throw us in the harbor I'll be able to reach it." Kevin locked alarmed.

"It'll be too late by then!" He almost shouted, and was shushed by Damian.

"Not if you just listen to me. I should be able to pick the lock on these chains before you run out of air. All I need you to do is stay alive. Can you do that?" DAmian asked if he could he would look the younger boy in the eye, but being back to back Damian just hoped the seriousness of his tone reached him.

"I've never been a strong swimmer," Kevin sighed. "But I'll hold my breathe as long as I can. You better get us out of here, Wayne."

Damian snorted, "Please, the only reason that I haven't gotten us out of here yet is because they would come after us if we escaped, faking our deaths will be easier."

Kevin gave him a confused look, "I thought you said you couldn't reach your lock pick?"

"That too." Damian heard hushed voices, "Be quiet." He ordered. "Here they come." Smartly, Kevin choose to pretend to still be passed out while Damian glared at the entrance of two Talons mask absent from their faces. One was a male, African-American, Tall, well built. By the muscle tone on his body and stature Damian guessed he was a MMA fighter. The woman was of Asian descent. Her hair was in a long ponytail. She had to be gymnast from well was a gymnast, by her short height and all around toned body, but not toned enough to be a fighter. "Let me guess." Damian started. "You're going to tell us your plan, then throw us into the Harbor. How cliché. You obviously have know idea who you're dealing with. "

"I'll have you know that we do, Damian Wayne. We heard a lot about you from our trainer. We're going to be taking precautions to make sure you don't make it out of the harbor alive. " The male Talon said. From behind him, he pulled out some duct tape and proceeded to tape shut Damian mouth and nose. "I can't have you holding you breathe under there. I won't make the same mistakes countless of other have made." He then dragged the two young boys out of the bouting house and onto the dock.

"Our trainer was right,"Said the female Talon. "Killing The Waynes are fun." and she kicked Damian and Kevin into the Harbor.

Damian had to give Kevin Thompson some credit, when the cold water hit them he did not in fact panic like Damian had been expecting him to. Before the Talon had kicked them into the water the boy had taken a rather deep breathe was now holding as long as he could. Damian estimated he had about 2 minutes at most before Kevin passed out, one from lack of oxygen, and two from the water pressure raising as they sunk deeper and deeper into the water. Damian also had to recognize the tap on his mouth all so gave hims less time then he would normally have. On a good day Damian could hold his breathe for about ten, and that was with a good deep breathe before becoming submerged into the water. Today, he had about 5 minutes, three minutes longer than Kevin. Damian had work to do. Quickly, with his chained hands he took out his lock pick, and carefully began to unlock the lock. One stroke of luck, the lock had been a standard master lock, easy to break out of. He then moved the chains from around both himself and Kevin. Kevin had passed out. Damian had cursed to himself inside of his head, He was out of time. He then grabbed a hold of the boy and swam him to the surface of the water breaking through. Kevin needed CPR, and Damian was stuck in the middle of the Gotham Harbor with Duct tape still on his mouth and nose. He could feel his chest starting to hurt. He had about a minute to make it away from the docks the two talons were and get the duct tape from around his face before he suffocated to death. As if the gods had favored him in that moment, a small sand bar appeared. Damian thanked god as he started to swim toward the sand bar, struggling to keep Kevin's head above the water. When they reached the sand bar Damian did not hesitate to remove the tape not even wincing in the slightest as he felt the skin being ripped from his face, and immediately started to perform CPR on the younger boy. After a few seconds Kevin Thompson began coughing up the water he had swallowed.

"Totally thought I was a goner." Kevin said in between coughs. "Thanks for saving my life."

Damian stuck his nose high in the air, "Tt, please. I only saved you because Mary would never shut about the fact that I let you die. So, consider this a one time favor, Thompson."

"Whatever reason you did it for, thank you anyway. So, what do we do now?" Kevin questioned.

"You're going home, where it's safe. Me, I have some unfinished business with The Court of Owls."

* * *

When Bruce had gotten to the scene all he found was a severely injured Selina, and no sign whatsoever of Nightwing. Selina was not going to be waking up anytime soon in her condition leaving Batman still troubled as to who was the enemy this time, and hoped he was not too late figuring out.

Bruce sent Selina to leslie's clinic after being assured her injuries were not life threatening. She had a broken jaw, a black eye, and a stab wound to the abdomen, but Selina wasn't going to die. Bruce honestly couldn't even think about that anymore, because Dick Grayson was missing. He had tried contact him in, but nothing came up. Even the tracking device(which Dick didn't know existed) seemed to be out of commision. Bruce searched for hours, a number of his enemies could have been responsible for his missing state. It was no secret that the dark knight favored the boy. Kidnapping attempts happened from the moment Bruce had taken Dick in, and even though he was a fully grown man they still happened. Though, now it didn't seem as odd when Dick saved himself. Bruce had to think, the person who had taken him must have been an enemy of Batman, or known that Bruce Wayne was Batman. That had narrowed down the search some, but even after hours and the night grow longer Bruce had no choice but to call in the others. They would want to know.

The first to respond to the call was the young Starling, she into the Batcave on her motor bike, Starling uniform on.

"What happened?" She asked worriedly as she ran to Bruce. "What do you mean my dad is missing?"

Bruce looked the girl once over. Mary held her breath. Finally, he answered her question. "As soon as your dad came back I sent him to go find Selina, she's been MIA for the past several days."

"And..." Mary urged.

"Dick found her." Bruce answered putting his cowl back on. "But someone found them. By the time I got there Selina was injured, and Dick was gone." Mary gasped.

"But-but-but where is he now? Have you found him, Bruce? Please tell me you've found him." She begged.

Bruce raised an eyebrow at the girl, "I'll tell you as soon as you tell me what you've done with him." Mary froze. Then laughed. A hard long laugh.

"I knew there was no getting past you." She said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "When did you figure me out?" She asked with a coy little smirk.

"You overplayed your part. By now Mary would have demanded the information, and gone looking for Dick herself, not begging me to find him. She's very independent, but also she follows orders most of the time meaning right now she wouldn't be in uniform. She still grounded from her fight with Kevin Thompson. She wouldn't have put the mask back on till her father told her she could." Batman said returning his on confident smirk. "So, who are you really?"

"Oh, Trust me. I am Mary Grayson, but I have been reborn. I will be helper in the founding of a new Gotham, and you will be no more." She answered.

"New Gotham. What do you mean?" his gruff Batman voice had been turned on.

Mary snorted, "I mean-" but before she could finish out of nowhere a batarang flew towards Mary hitting her straight in the temple knocking the girl unconscious. Batman turned and glared at the person responsible.

"What are you doing? She was talking I could have gotten all the information out of her." He said to his son Damian Wayne. Tensions were still high between the two.

Damian snorted, "You underestimate her if you think that would have worked, besides I have enough information for you."

"Really? Because if you do go ahead and tell me where Dick is." Damian paled. "You didn't know he was taken because you didn't answer my call earlier. You don't listen, Damian. That's your problem. I can't have a partner who won't listen, or is having erratic behavior. I put up with with when you were younger but you are 12 now, not the violent 8 year old I brought to the cave 4 years ago." Damian glared back at his father.

"Why do you have to bring up everything I've done wrong when I make a small mistake! You're just waiting for me to go back to the League of Shadows, aren't you?!" Bruce stilled, and clenched his jaw. Damian sighed. Now he's done it. "I don't want to argue with you right now. We have bigger problems then whatever the hell is wrong between the two of us. Right now, we need tie Mary up, preferably in something or put her somewhere that could hold you for an indefinite amount of time. She knows all of our interrogation tricks, there was no way you could have intimidated her into talking. She knows you to well to be scared of you now." Bruce nodded slightly pleased that his son had enough sense to stop the ensuing argument. If it were him when he was younger they would be fighting till Bruce ordered him upstairs.

"Fine." Bruce conceded. "Put her in the quarantine medical Bay. She couldn't get out of there unless she were at the Batcomputer." Damian nodded scooped the young girl in his arms and deposited her into the area of Bruce's specifications. When she was properly locked down into the clear room Bruce turned to his son . "Who is behind all of this, and what does it have to do with Dick and Mary?" He asked Damian.

"It doesn't make sense until you know who's behind it all. It's The Court of Owls, I have reason to believe they planted someone into Mary's class, and are controlling her somehow. I think with a Hypnos Implant, but stronger. Everyone is noticing her strange behavior, fighting with her best friend, not going to dance practice, sneaking out of the manor(I know you've noticed. you just haven't said anything to her yet.) and etcetera."

"You think she's being controlled by The Court? That she's not doing this by her own free will." Damian shook his head.

"I have no doubt, but I believe I know how to stop it." Damian said. "I'm sure she needs to be in the person controlling her presence in order to continue being controlled, but she's away from that person now. If we are able to break her loyalty to that person while she's here, maybe the control over her will fail, and the real Mary will come back to us. I could be wrong, we're still not sure how to combat a Hypnos Implant, and I don't know what The Court of Owls is planning, but I know whatever it is they what to do with the Graysons can't be good."

"You're right, but we still don't know their complete plan. Though, from what Mary was saying earlier it seems to be similar to plan when we first faced them. Take back Gotham from us, and rule it from their shadowy perch. She says there is going to be new age." Bruce explained. Bruce would have continued if not for the small laughter coming from the locked up Mary grayson.

"You think The Court of Owls is behind all of this? Please, those old fools don't know that Gotham needs to be cleansed, they've been feeding off of the corruption for decades, on decades. It's time for someone to completely take Gotham under their wing and start a new regime. Long live The Red Queen."

* * *

Alicia Royal stood over the bodies of her fallen family.

"Alicia, Why?" Her father choked out before dying from the poison put in his dinner. With cold eyes Alicia started down at the man.

"Simple." she answered, "Because with all of this power you could do so much more than control Gotham from the underworld. It's time to step out into the light, and rule this city with an iron fist. With me ruling, it would be a Utopia, but you all were too foolish to see that. Don't worry, I hear there is a special place in hell for people like you. People who do nothing, and waste their time and resources." Alicia answered. "The time of the Court of Owls has ended, and the Red Queen's Regime shall rise from its ashes. What do you think about all of this, Richard Grayson?"

In the chair tied up at the Dinner table was Nightwing, looking as if he had seen a war. Domino mask was halfway ripped off his face, and a dark bruise was forming on his left cheekbone. He looked as if he had seen better days.

"Why did you kill them?" Was the first thing out of his mouth. "They were your family. You didn't have to kill them. You killed all of them from your mother to your baby brother, why?" He asked. He tried to look anywhere but the bodies on the floor. Next to him was the body of the young girl's two year old brother, and on the other side of Nightwing was the body of her elder sister.

"You should be happy they're gone. They meant to kill you today, Richard Grayson. I just saved your life." Alicia huffed.

"I'd rather be dead, if that meant bring back that little boy." Alicia gasped slightly offended at his words.

"Why? So he can grow up and try to kill you? I did this for you, Richard. You were nowhere in my original plans for my take over, but I had to fit you in. I need you alive...For now anyway. They wanted to kill you for betraying The Court. I don't know what about that you don't understand, they planned to replace you. After all, that was the original plan let a new talon take your place, and it was always intended that it would be a Grayson." Nightwing looked up at the girl with wide eyes.

" Then Mary..." he whispered.

"Don't worry, she won't be a Talon. Her natural talent and leadership skills should be put to better use than a simple Talon, but I do recognize that she would have made a great one."

"Why us?!' Nightwing cried out. "I left the circus, and Mary was never there. Why would you come back for us now?"

"Didn't I just say they were trying to kill you." Alicia said annoyance dripping in her tone. "And don't think the only recruiting place was Haly's circus. The Court would have come back for you eventually, but by the time they would have been able to get close enough to take to you, there was no way for you to be converted, you were much too old, and had Bruce Wayne's ideology drilled into your head, but Mary she is still young, easy for them to take and convert. She's still a clean slate... Well, clean enough for them to control her. The Court of Owls will never leave you alone, Richard Grayson. Everywhere you go you'll have to look over your shoulder unless you join me and my new Regime. Unlike The Court, unlike Batman I recognize how truly great you are, and with your help we can transform Gotham into a city that you can be proud of. What you say? Join me and you can finally live in peace." Alicia said.

"I think I'll take my chances." Nightwing said as he glared at the girl. "You are one crazy nine year old." he sneered.

"I like to think of myself as ambitious. It's fine you don't have to join me, but know when you stand against me you stand against your daughter, as well. "

* * *

"So, you're telling me that the Mary that is being held in the Batcave is actually being mind controlled by someone called the Red Queen? That's positively the most least creative name ever. What's the story behind this whole thing anyway?" Jason said looking at the girl

"Long story, we'll tell you later. Right now you're the one who needs to pull Mary out of this...Trance?" Damian said unsure of what word to exactly use for this situation. "Batman, and I are going to see if we can find the girl who did this. Meanwhile, you need to break Mary's faith in that girl, Alicia Royal. If not..."

"I get it. I get it. I know, but do you know how hardheaded this girl is?" Jason said as he watched Batman and Robin get into the batmobile.

"Not our problem, Hood." Batman answered starting up the batmobile. "You do your job, and we'll do ours. I don't care what it takes, you need to get Mary back to her normal self." Jason sighed.

"Whatever you say, big man. I'll do what I can." And the Dynamic duo drove off.

"I'll have you know that I am completely loyal to the Red Queen's Regime. Nothing you can do to me can ever stop me from getting back to Lady Alicia." Mary said from the other side of the thick clear plastic.

"First of all you need to know is that you are being manipulated by your Lady Alicia." Jason sat in the chair in front of but on the other side of the clear barrier. "What is affecting your mind is called Hypnos Implant. I'm sure this Alicia has been using it on you since you met her." Mary scoffed at her uncle.

"Please, I've read the file on the Hypnos Implant, and the affects of it would be too strong for a Hypnos Implant."

"Prolonged Exposure." Jason said with a wave of his hand. "I also think that they engineered it to be stronger than the normal implant." Mary rolled her eyes.

"I was going to give you a place in the Red Queen's Regime. I thought you out of everyone was worthy enough, I can see now that I was wrong." Mary said sitting down on the medical bed.

Jason laughed, "That was one half assed effort to try to get me to join your ranks. I could have sworn I trained you better than that." Jason said with a cocky grin.

"You did." Mary returned the grin with a smirk. "I just know not to try your own tricks on you. I'm not stupid, you know?"

"Oh, I know." Jason said. "Just like I know unless you get real proof of you being under the influence of a Hypnos implant, that there is no changing your mind."

"I'm glad we've come to an understanding-"

"But that doesn't mean I'm giving up. Not yet anyway." Jason said cutting her off.

"Royal Manor." Robin said as he eyed the very large mansion from the cliff side. "Who knew the Court of Owls head family lived 15 minutes from the Batcave? Tt, That definitely was not the smartest place to live."

"They've actually been living here for decades, almost as long as the Waynes." Batman answered as the crept closer to the mansion. "It was one of the few houses that wasn't destroyed during the earthquake a few years back. You know the plan from here." Batman said as the reached the manor. "Go, and try to follow orders." You could see Robin roll his eyes from underneath the domino mask as he climbed up to the roof. Batman shook his head. Of all the times that boy choose to be difficult. Then again, he had always been dreading the days of when Damian would hit puberty. Batman had thought Dick and jason had joked about how bad he would be, but know he was realizing that it was so much worse. Batman shook those thoughts out of his head and began to focus on the mission at hand.

There was no doubt in his mind that Alicia Royal and her Red Queen's Regime would be waiting for him. Out all of the things he had seen in his time as Batman, a nine year old homicidal, power-hungry psychopath is a first. That was why when he saw the bodies of the Royal family lying on the dining room floor Batman wasn't that surprised. He didn't even need to check pulse. It was obvious that the family was dead. They had been poisoned from the looks of it. The whole family was there from Adrian Royal, the Patriarch of the Royal family to little Roy Royal. The young toddler, who probably didn't have any idea what was going on in this family. The only person of the Royal family missing was the one who committed this atrocity, Alicia Royal. Batman knew from the sounds of things Alicia Royal was deadly, but she killed her entire family just to take the Talons from them, and cripple The Court Owls. Well, no one could say the girl wasn't ambitious. In order to make this kind of plan she must have been planning for months, years even. At only nine Alicia Royal, The Red Queen, had become more dangerous than a lot of his enemies. She was genius, and Bruce must take every precaution with her. She was unpredictable, and he was playing her game.

"Greetings. Batman." A young sweet voice called out when Batman turned the corner, it was Alicia Royal surrounded by what looked to be former Talons all dressed in her motif of red and white. "i'm glad you could finally make it. I have been dying to meet you. I was just telling Richard that."

Batman growled, "Where is he?" but instead of being intimidated by the man the girl laughed,

"In due time, I set all of this up just so I could meet you the least you could do is sit and have a cup of tea with me." She gestured to the seat next to her and the small table with a tea set on it.

"I Prefer standing if you will." Batman answered back.

"Pity, it's rose tea. My favorite." She said taking a sip.

"What's your ploy, Royal. Why kill your entire family, and take the Talons that were still in training. What was the point of all of this?" He asked her.

"All of it to meet you, Batman. I've heard so much about you since I was a child, and I wondered how could the Court hate such a smart and cunning man. If anything they should have asked to join their ranks, but the old hatred of the Waynes made sure that they would never do that. The Court of Owls was filled with fools who believe the old times when all of Gotham used to fear them will come back. Of the stronger believers were my Father and Mother. They thought if they took out everyone in the Bat-clan, then Gotham would fear them the most again, but they are wrong. I realized long ago, that we can't really kill the Batman. We can kill you, Bruce Wayne, and all of your little children following at your heels, but we can't kill The Batman. Do you know why?" Alicia asked rhetorically. "Because you are no longer an urban legend. You a symbol of hope, of Rebellion, of justice, and you can't kill a symbol. If we killed you and everyone involved in what you do, someone else would only step up wearing the same cowl fighting crime in the name of justice, and the cycle will repeat itself. I congratulate you. You have immortalized the image of The Batman. It will never go away because you have awaken the people of Gotham to the normal wrong state of things, you have washed their eyes of the haze that The Court created so long ago, and because you did that someone is going to always be trying to be just like you. Someone is going start where ever it is you leave off."

"You asked what I want from all of this." Alicia continued. "Well, it's simple. I want to rule. I want Power, and I am looking in far more bigger places than Gotham. I see far more bigger places the this country. In my dreams I see a perfect world under my Regime, and really only a few things stand in my way; You, your little friends on that spaceship high in the sky, and The Court. The Court doesn't see the bigger picture like I see it. I knew they would have to be dealt with sooner or later. They were the easiest to take out. No one sees betrayal when it's that close to you." Batman's jaw clenched. "Oh don't pout. I didn't kill the whole Court of Owls. Only my family, and a few others. I've crippled their entire organization. You should be thanking me. They'll be running around like headless chickens for next four years at least. I've also drained most of their finances. My point being The Court of Owls won't be coming back anytime soon. And now you are wondering what has become of poor Richard, and what my intentions for Mary are, correct?" She asked. "Well, The first the court was going to do tonight, in order to bring in a new age into Gotham, was kill him for being a traitor. They were going to make a big spectacle of it and everything, unmask him in front of everyone in the Square, and then execute him. Mary on the other had was chosen by the Court to take her father's place. Being so young, they could still easily manipulate her into becoming their loyal Talon."

"The Hypnos Implant you have." Batman said entering Alicia's monologue for the first time.

"Wasn't that hard to obtain." She finished for him. "As you can tell it is a lot stronger than the normal implant and all they needed was someone Mary's age to enter her school, and convince her to join us, with a little hypnos to confuse her judgement. I had been making these plans for years, I just need the perfect moment to play it all out, and the perfect right hand at my side. That's when the Court brought Mary and Richard Grayson back to my attention. I will be honest, I wanted Richard at first, but he would be harder to convince so I went with Mary. The hypnos implant making it all too easy. She didn't even realize what she was doing till it was too late. She's perfect to lead my Regime, and with her in time This world will be mine."

"So you admit to using the hypnos implant on Mary since the beginning." Batman said in order to clarify her story. Alicia impolitely rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I have. I just said that." Alicia groaned. Batman smirked.

"Good." He touched the ear piece of his cowl. "Hood, did you get all of that." he said into the comm inside his cowl.

"Loud and clear, Batman." Hood said in his ear. Batman had turned the volume up loud enough so Alicia Royal could hear. "Alicia Royal may want to run and hide because I don't think I've ever seen Mary this angry. Uh oh, She getting on her bike to head over there. That's probably not the best idea, I'm going to go stop her. In good news Mary is no longer under the control of the Red Queen's Regime. Thanks, Oracle, for the live cowl camera feed."

"No problem." She answered before going silent.

"It's over, Miss Royal." Batman said in a gruff tone.

"but-but-but- NO! YOU CAN'T!" Alicia screamed and for the first time that night sounding like her age. "You tricked me! Mary Grayson was mine! You can't have her back!"

"But we do." Batman said no mercy in his voice. "The thing about Hypnos implants are once a person is aware that they are being controlled by one the compulsion does not work anymore, and every thing you've made Mary think is now obsolete. Your first mistake was dealing with me. I know a thing or two about dealing with Psychopaths and one thing I have learned is that they love to brag about how amazing their plans, just like you did. I knew you would talk enough to free Mary from your control."

"I still have Richard Grayson, and if you ever want to see him again you'll let us go." she said trying to barter her freedom.

"I don't think so." Robin said. walking around the corner with Nightwing. "Before you even think about fighting us you should know. We did bring back up who are on standby outside of this manor. Also the police will be here in about." Robin checked his nonexistent watch "Five minutes. You could either give up now, or just prolong the inevitable for another 15 minutes. Go ahead, you know how much I love bringing Court scum to Arkham." He said punching his fist into his other hand. " Tt, and I hear you're due for a nice face rearranging. Make my day, Royal." Alicia Royal looked completely vexed. If looks could kill, Robin would be dead 100 times over by now, but Alicia Royal was smart. She knew her chances of winning were not in her favor.

"Fine, but I'll be out of Arkham before you can even blink, Batman, and I'll come back for the Graysons. They are too perfect for my Regime just to let them go." She motioned for the former Talons to surrender as she held out her hands to be handcuffed. "What is it that you always say about Arkham, Batman, it has a revolving door?" and she laughed, the kind of laugh that would send shivers up your spine.

The cops showed up not three minutes after Alicia Royal surrendered. When Gordon saw that a little nine year old girl was responsible for the murder of about 3 families including her own he only sighed, and said that he was far too old to be doing this sort of thing anymore, and that he needed to retire. Batman Robin, and Nightwing were all really surprised that for once a villain didn't decide to go to Arkham the hard way, but then again Alicia Royal wasn't their normal villain. It wasn't until ALicia Royal was in the squad car driving away, that Batman got a call confirming his suspicions.

"Batman!" Starling's voice rang through his head piece. "You have to stop her she planned all of this! She knew this was going to happen! She's going to-" but before Starling could finish the sound of an explosion boomed loud throughout the manor. All three vigilantes ran out to find the prisoner van and the squad car holding Alicia Royal and her former Talons, up in flames, and everyone that was arrested that night missing.

And for the first time in a long time, the Dark knight lost a chess match to the very clever Red Queen.

* * *

Back in the Batcave Mary was apologizing more than both Bruce and Damian could handle. She never stopped, making sure they knew how upset and sorry she was all of this happened.

"I understand if you want you want me to stop being Starling. I screwed up really bad. That was such a rookie mistake. I'm so sorry." She said. The girl wasn't crying, but from her tone it sounded like she was about to start.

"Stop." Bruce commanded. "No one said anything about you hanging up your Starling uniform."

"But I could have killed tonight!" She exclaimed.

"But you didn't. Alicia Royal came after you while you were supposed to be safe at school. You had no reason to think that she would be with the Court of Owls, or that she had her own agenda. She had you and a lot of other people fooled. I can't blame you for something you couldn't have prepared for. Now Dick falling for Poison Ivy's charm in the field again, I can blame him for. He knows her powers, and what she can do. You were blind-sided, and if I were in your position I probably wouldn't have fared much better."

Mary stared at him with wide eyes. "You mean it?" She asked.

"I do." He said with a nod. Out of nowhere Mary ran up and hugged the caped crusader knocking the wind out of him.

"Thank you, Grandpa." She said, and began to cry into his chest. Bruce after a moment returned the hug and smiled fondly at the young girl.

"Do you see that Alfred, he's hugging her." Dick whispered to the butler tending to his injuries.

"That I do Master Richard." Alfred answered.

"You know, he only started this hugging thing until after he got Jason. I got slaps instead of hugs, this is such bull crap."

"I am quite aware."

"Still, "Dick started, "It's nice to see how much Bruce has grown over the years. He's starting to let that nice man underneath the kevlar show."

* * *

Mary took a deep breath as she stood outside of her dance studio, a place she hadn't stepped foot in about 2 weeks. She blew off practices not to mention competitions, and she wasn't there all because of Alicia Royal's control over her. Now, Mary had to face the music. It was time for the punishment she deserved

"Tt, Are you going to go in or what?" Damian asked. Mary doesn't know why she brought him for the moral support, probably because everyone else was busy.

"I just need a minute, okay? This is a little nerve racking. I did ignore everything in my life for the past two weeks." She said biting her nails a bad habit she picked up from Stephanie.

"I don't understand you. You can kick Two-Face in his two face, but you can't face the people you love after you've made a mistake? That makes no sense. No matter what you do they'll accept you back with open arms." Damian said with a sigh.

"How do you know?"

"Because I've done far worse than you could ever do, and for some reason Father seems to let me stay." Mary blinked at the older boy. That almost sounded like guilt. In fact Mary was sure it was guilt. "Therefore these people should have the heart to accept you back, even after you did screw them over for competitions."

Mary sighed. "Alright, wait here. This is something I have to do alone." She told Damian. Mary walked up and pulled open the door. The wide eyes of the secretary, and then the glare as she walked past were not lost to her. In fact everyone who was in dance troop seemed to glare at her as she walked by. Mary could hear some mutters of "how dare she" and some "oh god why." but really they mostly stared at her as if she had come back from the dead. Mary kept her head high though. She was a performer and now she had to put on a performance.

"So the prodigal daughter makes her way back home," A voice called out. Kevin. Mary instantly recognized that voice. The last time she had heard it was when she had both him and Damian knocked out, tied up, and thrown into the Gotham Harbor. He didn't look all too pleased with her. In fact he had on his poker face making it hard for Mary to read the boy. He stared at her with a nonchalance as if he didn't care what Mary decided to do next, and that look hurt more than any of the glares thrown at her earlier.

"Kevin, I am so-"

"Save it." Kevin held up his hand in a stopping motion. "It's good to have you back, Riri." And he smiled at her. A genuine smile that let Mary know she was forgiven for everything she had done, and then he pulled her into a giant bone crushing hug. "Oh by the way, Michelle wants to see you now." Mary stilled in Kevin's arms.

"Oh God, she's going to kill me, isn't she?" Mary asked truly frightened.

"No more so than anybody else. Go on, you'll be surprised by what she has to say." He gestured to the room and Mary walked up to it, but before knocking she turned back to Kevin.

"Please go and tell Damian to head back to the Manor, I'll call someone when I need to be picked up. Also tell him I said thank you." She said before knocking and opening the door to the room, and meeting her dancing fate.

Kevin smiled at her. Mary was going to be staying with the Conservatory for a very long time, Michelle wasn't going to let such a talented girl slip out of her fingers, and neither was Kevin.

* * *

_Final word count: 14,026(DA END IS NEIGH)_

_THIS CHAPTER RIGHT HERE! NEVER AGAIN WILL IT BE THIS LONG(unless we have another big arc like this) If this had hit 15000 I was going to cut it in half, because it's way too long. In other news... This chapter took so long because last two weeks have been Band Camp! Yup! and if you've ever been in the marching band then you know. I have no life but Marching band from now until about november after competition season. Meaning Updates are going to be coming even slower because school starts back up in August, as well. It's my Senior year of High school, and I've been dreading it like the plague. _

_Anyway, story stuffy. I will confirm that we will see Alicia Royal, and the Red Queen's Regime again. This is Mary's first villain that is her villain. not Nightwing's and not Batman's. She is also not the only villain Mary is going to have. I'm still debating whether or not she's going to be Mary's main nemesis. It's still between her and another character. Nightwing will be in the chapter more next chapter I swear along with the introduction of a new face, a hero around Mary's age who works with his mother... Guess who they are.  
_

_Also thanks to Victory Goddess and Shygirl for their reviews! As always they make me smile, and get me through a chapter! _

_Next chapter, Mischief Managed. (That's your only hint) _

_Love, _

_ ~Miyu K. July 28,2014_


	9. Nightwing and Starling 3

**_Nightwing & Starling 3_**

**_The Missing part 1_**

"Do you two really have to go?" Starling asked. She watched as Batman and Robin packed the Batmobile. It was unspoken, but the dynamic duo would be gone for a while. "Gotham's always terrible when you're gone, Bruce, and you're taking Daman with you this time. Both Batman and Robin gone from Gotham, already sounds like a nightmare."

"You'll be fine." Bruce answered not stopping from packing the Batmobile full of all of the potential supplies that he might need. "Your father is here, as well as Hood, Red Robin, and Huntress. Anything computer wise you should be able to do for yourself if not Oracle is always willing to help."

"But she's on the case two with the Birds of Prey. It's the first time that so many of us are gone. Sorry, if I'm a little wary of the idea." Starling paused as she looked at the two intently. "You two are going to careful, right?" The two stopped at the same time, looked at each other then at Mary.

"Define careful." They both said at the same time. Mary sighed.

"I should have known."

Damian smirked at the girl as he loaded what looked to be a nonlethal weapon into the back of the Batmobile. "Chill, Mini Grayson, we'll be back ." Mary narrowed her eyes at the older boy.

"Really? Because last I checked this was personal, and personal cases make us sloppy." Batman didn't even blink at her accusation while Robin glared at the girl.

"What are you trying to say?" Robin said angrily. He almost walked up on the young girl when his father's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"She's right. Being personal with a case can make you sloppy. You're worried about us?" The dark Knight observed.

"Can you blame me? People are missing, Grandpa, and you want to go into the heart of all of this. What if you go missing like Stephanie?"

"We'll find Stephanie. I promise." He didn't answer her question, but still his words comforted her, "In order to find her and all of the missing people we need you and the rest, here in Gotham. I know you want to help find her, but I need you here, understand?" It seemed Bruce knew what exactly to say to get the young Starling to follow orders. To make her understand why exactly she was doing something, and that was the reason she always listened to The Bat. Her father was another story. Yes, she listened to him, but she was more likely to bend his orders to her will than she were with Bruce.

"What about Talia?" It happened for a fraction of the second but Mary could see it, a crack in the Dark Knight's armor. For a split second Bruce froze, and Mary could see something in him. She could see hurt in his eyes that were, for a split second with the cowl free of his face. Mary could the hurt in his eyes. Talia had really hurt him. He hid it well. The way even a mention of Talia's name burned him so. Mary had mentioned it her father once, to see if he noticed the slight imperfection in the so well built wall, Dick had only told her not to say anything, and that though he doesn't act it sometimes. Bruce was human, too.

"As long as she's one of the missing then she is an innocent that we have to save." Bruce finally answered. Even Damian snorted at the comment.

"Father, my mother is anything but innocent, though you are correct, she is a victim in all of this. So, we'll have to save her." As hard as Damian tried to put up a front in front of them, both Mary and Bruce could see through it. He was worried about Talia, understandably so. She was his mother even with all of the things she has done to him.

"Before we leave, Mary is there anything you might have missed telling us." Bruce asked. Mary shook her head.

"Not at all. I told you the full story. Stephanie and I were on patrol together when we both heard a woman scream. We went to check it out but when I got there there was no woman, and Steph was no longer with me. I looked for her all night, and I eventually found her belt in a trash can behind the Iceberg. That's all I know. I didn't notice anything else wrong with the night. Nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, the night was almost too quiet, so Steph and I were a little antsy because that's never a good thing."

"You didn't check to make sure she was following to the place you two heard the scream?" Bruce asked though not in a condemning way.

"Do you check to see if Robin is behind you on the way to the top of the police station when the signal's in the sky?" Mary asked. Bruce nodded getting her point.

"Where do you plan to start?" Mary asked.

Damian snorted again for the second time in one conversation. "The League of Shadows, of course. My grandfather knows what's going on. I'm sure of it." Mary didn't say anything, but what Damian said seemed plausible Talia was one of the people missing, Ra's must know at least a fraction of what was really going on, if this wasn't already his plan. Mary shook the thought out of her head. This really wasn't his M.O.

"If anything changes you'll contact us, right?" Starling asked. The Dynamic Duo didn't say anything, "Or at least you'll try." At this both nodded in agreement.

"I want you to keep a careful eye on this case, Starling." Batman ordered. "If anyone new goes missing make sure to contact us. I want to be informed of every movement. Also, if you can track down Zatanna Zatara." Mary raised an eyebrow at this. "Last I checked she was still Las Vegas, but the more people that go missing I'm worried she'll take off before I need her. I need you to keep her under our watchful eye. " Mary nodded understandingly. "Good. Be prepared for anything." and with that the father and son got into the Batmobile, and left the cave driving at high speed through the waterfall exit.

Mary took a deep breath and headed to the computer to review the case one more time. There had to be something that she missed. The file popped up on the screen and Mary looked at all the pictures that showed up. The first person to go missing was the magician/con artist, John Constantine. This was actually very normal, the man had a tendency to disappear without so much as a word to friends or family, but this time it was different. When looking for him, even Zatanna Zatara couldn't even find him with Magic. That's when everyone grew worried, and the Justice league got involved. The Justice League takes missing members very serious, and the founding members took it upon themselves to look into the case personally. Two weeks later they had gotten no where. It was as if John Constantine had vanished from the face of the Earth. There was no evidence of what could, or could not have happened to the con-man. This was when Batman got involved. He immediately noticed that there was no evidence at all. There was always evidence, and when there wasn't, that in itself was evidence. The detectives mind immediately went to other worlds, but that theory was easily crossed out because Watchtower sensors would have picked something up. Batman then thought the missing case of John Constantine had something to do with magic. The next missing persons case confirmed this. The next person that went missing was former Teen Titan, Raven.

Mary remembered the way her father's face paled at the news. An old friend of his, Garfield Logan, called him and told him the news. Dick was devastated to say the least, but Bruce assured him that Dick that he would find his fellow former Titan. Dick had high hopes till more and more people started going missing. After Raven it was Tempest, then Gypsy, Traci 13, Madame Xanadu, Doctor Fate, and many many more. Someone was taking any and all magic users. Magic users good and bad were going missing. The magic users that were left went into hiding. Zatanna who was heading the case, promised Batman that she wouldn't take off, as well. Batman was right in his slight mistrust of her. Zatanna had not shown up for motor duty on the watch tower as of 3 hours ago. She must have known Batman would be leaving, and planned accordingly.

Mary stared at the picture of Batgirl. Stephanie was the first of many people who were not magic users to be taken from their families and homes. Normal people, those whose lives had nothing with heroes or villains went missing all around the world. Among the Justice league, Captain Marvel, Fire, Animal Man, and Wonder Woman were among the many non magic using Justice league member to go missing. Batman knew then that this was the start of an epidemic, the news of Talia al ghul becoming one of the missing gave Batman a place to start. After days of getting no where and over a thousand people still missing Batman now had a starting place. Taking Robin with him, he's knowledge of the league's too valuable to not bring him, Batman went to find news about the whereabouts of Talia, and hopefully about everyone else. Leaving a majority of the Batfamily in Gotham. Cassandra Cain-Wayne, the only other missing as she herself was using her connections to find information on her best friend, Stephanie Brown.

Mary wouldn't lie, she did in act blame herself. If only she had seen or heard something then at least Bruce would be able to find her, but again Mary fell short and others paid or her mistakes. She had begged Bruce to take her with him, but of course he had rejected that idea. It had almost hurt her feelings until Robin had pointed out that she was needed here, to watch over Gotham. Gotham always held priority to her feelings, it always held priority over any of their feelings. Unless someone was dying, to Batman Gotham came first.

Mary took a deep breathe as she tried to talk herself out of going to find Stephanie alone like Cassandra did. Bruce had given her a job, and Mary had to complete it. With just the few pushing of buttons Zatanna Zatara's profile. She was definitely long gone from her Las Vegas home. She might be the key to finding out whatever is going on if Ra's doesn't pull through. Reading through the profile Mary found that the magician was originally from Gotham, too easy. Most likely she would have a very cleverly hidden place to hide in Gotham. She would probably only be there for a few hours until she left again, meaning the clock was ticking to find Zatanna Zatara. So where would a magic using super hero run off to in Gotham City. The answer, anywhere, but Mary knew how she could narrow down her search.

Mary pulled out her phone, and quickly dialed her dad's number, "Hey dad. Yeah, Bruce and Damian just left. Yup, he asked if I could look into some things" Dick asked if she needed his help "...No, you need to stay at work. If you don't Gordon is sure to fire you this time. I can handle it on my own, besides you won't be welcome where i'm going." Her father was now complaining about where she was going he wouldn't be welcomed. Mary rolled her eyes. "No...that shouldn't have you worried at all. I can take care of myself. Don't worry, just meet me in the park at midnight. I'll be there with whatever info I get. Okay? Yup, see you tonight." It was only about nine o'clock. Looks like Starling was getting an earlier start tonight.

* * *

In the east end of Gotham there were multiple factories that had been shut down. Sometimes these places were used as hideouts for villains, but most of the time they were used as a cover for something precious. Starling swung into the factor, and quickly made her way to the managers office on the first floor. Underneath the old dust covered desk and under the moth eaten rug one would find a door, and behind that door a set of staircases that went deep down into the underground, and there a glorious city laid. A city of only children. The City of Runaways.

The City of Runaways was almost as old as the city of Gotham itself, or at least that was what Starling had been told. It was run by, made by, and for kids, kids who had run away from home because either they were orphans or they were in abusive homes. It didn't matter the reason, if you were a kid and you were in trouble you went to the City of Runaways. Getting here was no issue, getting in was an another thing.

A large teenage boy about 17, maybe 18 stood at the entrance to the City. He guarded the City from unwanted adults. If an adult found there way down there, they would be dealt with and be sent back to the surface with ease. The teenager had a large gun strapped to his back, from where Mary stood it wasn't loaded. They usually only used them as intimidation tactics. The large boy looked at Mary, a glint of recognition was in his eyes as he asked her a question.

"Why is a Raven like a writing test?" He spoke quietly to her.

"You know, I haven't gotten a clue." Starling answered, "Do you think I've gone mad?" She asked in a worried tone. The Boy's stoic face turned into a grin, as he slapped her on the back like an older brother would.

"It's good to have you back in The City, Star. Where've you been?" He asked.

"Here, and there. You know the drill." She said returning the smile, "How's school going, Jackson?"

"Fine, just got a scholarship to the University of Georgia. Finally getting out of Gotham." He answered with a even wider proud grin.

"That's amazing, don't forget to come and visit us back here." She replied.

"Think I'll visit more than you do." Starling winced at his light joke.

"I know I have been visiting a lot, but I'm here now, and that's what counts." As she said the words the gates to the City opened revealing the City of Runaways.

"I have to stay by the door, so I can't walk you into to see the Boss man. You'll be okay?" He asked her.

Mary nodded, "I'll be fine, I remember the way." With a wave she kept walking to where she could get her info on Zatanna city was filled with building that the kids themselves built over the years, and have filled with supplies, and other things of that nature. The City looked more like a very large village than a city. As she walked by kids ranging from 5 to 18 stared her with wide eyes, some who knew her smiled and waved, others looked at her in awe. They didn't know one of Batman's kids knew about this places, and others looked at her with suspicious eyes, watching her every movement as if Starling was going to run and tell Batman about this place. One of them was a pretty little redhead, who had to be about 14 who Starling knew.

"Are you going to say hi to me, Chloe? " Starling asked. The red head stuck her nose far up into the air, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why would I greet an outsider like you. I'm only here to take you to Chris. He knows you're here, and has been complaining that you haven't been visiting." Chloe said not looking at Starling once. Keeping her proud nose in the air.

Mary sighed, "Of course he knows I'm here. Is there anything Chris can't see?" Chloe stared at Starling as if she were some kind of an idiot. "I'll take that as a no, geesh. Cold much. How have things been here, Chloe?"

"The same." she answered in a short tone, "Not that you would know what that was." She sneered.

"Whatever, " Starling replied. Chloe never did like her much, "I know my way to Chris's you don't have to show me. Go back and do whatever it is Chloes do." Starling shooed Chloe like she would a pet and Chloe gave her the most offended look Starling had ever seen on a person.

"Fine, but when you get lost. Don't come crying to me, just take your little mask wearing ass out of the City." She said then turned to leave, "I don't see why Chris trust this little Bat-freak." she mumbled then left Starling's sight. Chloe according to everyone didn't like any of the Bats. While others thought they were cool, Chloe consider Starling and the others to be a menace, Chris would never tell her why though. Starling stopped the thoughts about the angry Chloe and walked up to Chris's room. He was there like he always was, unless something big was going on.

"Stella!" He greeted with a hug, "it's been forever! How are you?" He asked pushing Starling onto the couch and taking a seat next to her.

Starling, When she first meet Chris, was first taken off of guard by the very hyper teenager, but mostly she was taken aback by the fact that not only did he know her first name he also knew her middle, and mention how she should go by Stella, commenting that Mary was too boring for a pretty girl like her. A month into her Starling career that was a lot to swallow. Starling almost peed herself in fear when she thought her secret identity had been compromised, but then Chris explained things. Chris was an immortal who had the power to see the past, present, and future of anyone he met, and that was how he knew her name. Starling calmed down a little then, but started to hyperventilate when she thought he was going to sell, her and her family's secret to the nearest tabloid. He had calmed her down by promising that he wouldn't dare. That's when Starling looked at his wall, on it were hundreds of pictures of kids who had stayed in the City, and she had recognized two very familiar faces, Jason and Stephanie. Mary never asked what the story behind that was, she wondered if she ever would, but honestly it was none of her business.

"Don't tell me. I know why you're here today, Mary-Stella." He said. "You want to ask me about Zatanna Zatara, correct?" He said. "I can help you, I meet her once as a kid."

"What's the catch?" Starling asked, narrowing her eyes at the immortal teenager. Chris gave her a knowing smirk.

"Can I not do anything just to be nice?" He asked all too innocently.

"When I first met you, you introduced yourself as Conman-Chris. Sorry if I'm a little wary. " she apologized sarcastically. "Now what's the price?" She asked again.

"You just keep your friend with the bat ears out of The City, and you can get info from me anytime." He promised with an outstretched hand. Mary didn't hesitate as she grabbed shaking it hardly.

"I'll do what I can, but you can only hide from the Bat from so long." She answered.

"We've been hiding since before his parents were born. I just don't want him sending all these kids back to the orphanage. Trust me they weren't good places in the 1700's, and they still aren't."

"Now Zatanna Zatara? "

Chris sat down in his swivel chair spinning for a moment before resting his hands on top his head. Thinking, he let out a sigh.

"She happened upon me once when she was 8. I think she got separated from her father and I found her in downtown Gotham late night during one of his shows." He reminisced

"And by meeting her you now knew we very thing about her. " Starling finished for him. "I know how your powers work Chris. Skip the drama. Where is Zatanna's hideout?" Chris huffed slightly offended that Starling had ended his trip down memory lane.

"Zatanna has a magically hidden hideout just outside Gotham on the way to Blüdhaven. I believe it's in between two willow trees." He said finally.

"Thanks, that's all I needed. " Starling was about to leave when chris' s voice stopped her.

"I'm going to warn you though, finding her might not have the outcome you expect." He foretold.

"You know what's going to happen." It wasn't a question. Of course, Chris knew what was going to happen. "Anything I want to know?" Starling paused. "Anything you can tell me?" she rephrased

Chris shook his head, "Nothing that won't change things in a bad way." Chris looked at his watch, "You should go now. You are meeting Nightwing in the park in half an hour."

"Thanks again, Chris." Starling said as she began to walk out.

"Stella," He called her out stopping Starling from leaving. Starling turned around to see Chris giving her a very meaningful look. "I'll see you soon." Starling nodded at his farewell, and headed out of the City. Saying goodbye to the children she knew, Starling headed back up to the uplands of Gotham and headed to the park to find her father waiting on her.

"Nightwing!" She called out as she swung down next to him in a discreet corner of the park.

"Starling, Did you find where Zatanna is?" He asked.

Starling nodded, "Yeah, I have a really good source. Her secret hideout is supposed to be just outside of Gotham in a the long stretch of land before we hit Blüdhaven, in between two willow trees. Vague, but vague enough that we can work with it."

"And Bruce thinks Zatanna knows what's going on?" Nightwing asked with a raised eyebrow as he led Starling to his car.

"If only he used those words exactly," Starling said with a sigh. "You know he never explains why he makes us do certain things. He just told me to keep an eye on her in case she takes off before he needs her. He should really stop doing that, it's getting kind of annoying." Nightwing chuckled slightly. "Lo and behold not an hour after Bruce left Zatanna was reported missing. Meaning she probably found something." Mary said getting into her father's car.

"But what could she have found out that could make her take off like that?"

"Wish I knew." Mary answered.

"Guess it's another night of us Nightwinging it..." Nightwing gave his daughter a goofy grin. "Eh eh? Get cause I'm-"

"Yes, I know cause you're Nightwing." Starling facepalmed and sighed. "And when exactly did you think of this one?"

"This morning." He said "I have like forty more. You wanna hear?" Starling just stared at her father.

"No! Never again."

"Since I am the parent here, you have to do what I say." Nightwing announced.

"Okay," Starling said grimly, "Let me just jump out of this moving car."

Nightwing frowned, "You're so sarcastic. I regret letting Jason train train you. You've picked up a lot of his characteristics."

"You never let me-"

"Shush!" He put a hand to her mouth "Let me be indenial." he said jokingly. Starling rolled her eyes. "You said two willow trees, right?"

"Yeah, are we here?" She asked leaning forward in the car looking through the windshield.

"I believe so." Nightwing pulled the car to a stop, and the two vigilantes got out looking around. Mary walked in between the two willow trees. Nothing of significance happened.

"So how exactly do we enter the secret hideout of a magician?" Starling asked.

"You don't." A voice called out from the darkness. Before Nightwing and Starling could turn to see who got the drop on them the mysterious voice called something else out. _"__Roodpart nepo!" _The ground beneath Starling's feet opened up, and deep into the ground she fell.

"Starling!" Nightwing shouted and dove into the hole after her. Together they fell into a room with red colored walls, but before they could get their bearings after the fall the voice again let out more words.

_"Sepor iet meht pu!" _Again with the words, out of nowhere ropes flew at Nightwing and Starling and wrapped around the two. "Now, " The owner of the voice stepped into the light revealing themselves to be a boy a little older than Starling. "Who are you and how did you find us?"

The boy looked familiar to Starling, but it was Nightwing who seemed to almost recognize the boy instantly.

"Zachary?" He choked out. Nightwing studied the boy for a moment. "No, you're too young, and...?" Nightwing's eyes widen. "That means you're-"

"Johnny!" A female voice this time rang into the room and stepping inside was none other than Zatanna Zatara. Zatanna stopped as soon as she enter the roomed looked around in surprise, clearly she didn't know about the two vigilantes being held captive. "What the hell is going on and Nightwing?" She asked with a tilted head.

"Hi Zatanna!" Nightwing said cheerfully. If he had use of his hands he would have waved.

Zatanna turned to the boy, "Johnny, what did you do?" She said pointing at the two gotham heroes.

"I saw them on the cameras looking around for this place so I decided to take care of them so you won't have to worry about it."

Zatanna sighed, "As good as your intentions were, next time you tell me when you see something on the monitors instead of taking care of it yourself. For all you know these two could have been our enemies, luckily their friends."

Johnny shrugged his shoulders, "These two didn't seem to be a problem how bad can someone else be?"

"Is it a bad time to mention that I got out of these ropes when Zatanna walked." Starling said standing up sliding the ropes off her body. Johnny held a shocked expression while Nightwing gave his protégé a disapproving look.

"It took you that long? We will be working on that when we get back home." He said to her also standing and taking the ropes off of himself. Nightwing turned away from his partner and addressed Zatanna, "Now that formalities are out of the way. As you probably already guessed Zatanna, we're not here on a social call."

"When are you bats ever?" She asked rhetorically. "I know what you want, and I can't help you. Just leave this case to me." Nightwing just raised an eyebrow at the Justice leaguer. Zatanna sighed, "You're not going to take no for an answer are you?"

"Listen," Starling cut in, "This case got personal when Batgirl ended up missing. We have multiple family and friend's lives on this, sorry but there is now why we are just going to leave this to you."

"Pretty girl, you're not the only one who's family was taken." Johnny said. "Besides you two will eventually end up captured too anyway." Zatanna quickly turned her head towards Johnny.

"Johnny!"

"Crap."

Nightwing narrowed his eyes, "I was going to ask nicely, but that doesn't seem to be working. You know what's going on, and you're going to tell us, now."

Zatanna looked around, looking for a way out of this situation, but of course none could be found. "At first, I wasn't exactly sure what was going on." She finally answered Nightwing taking a seat on the chair closest to her. "I was frantic, John had gone missing, and magic users everywhere were starting to disappear. I had no idea what was going on until recently."

"That's why you didn't show up for monitor duty today." Starling said filling in the holes. "You've been gone for days. We would have never even noticed if you weren't scheduled in for monitor duty on the Watch Tower. "

Zatanna nodded, "I realized that I had been looking at the picture all wrong instead of focusing on why everyone was taken, I began focusing on who."

"Magic users." Nightwing finished for her, "But we already knew that, but that doesn't explain why exactly people like Batgirl, Wonder Woman, and Captain Marvel were taken."

"Magical potential." Johnny answered. "All humans have a capacity for magic, this capacity varies between humans. Some will have a higher or better time learning magic than others, example you. You have a higher capacity for magic than most humans, in another life you could have easily donned the helmet of Fate and been Doctor fate." Johnny explained to Nightwing.

"So what you're saying is that those humans with a higher capacity of Magic and those who practice magic are being taken by an unknown entity?" Starling asked.

"Exactly," Zatanna nodded. "If we don't work fast more and more people will go missing, and I'm afraid I don't know what will happen to all of them when this all done and over with."

"You still don't know what's been taking everyone?" Nightwing asked

Johnny shook his head, "That's why we've been looking back into people they've taken, and realized something."

"There is no way John Constantine got captured without leaving something to tell us who has taken him." Zatanna finished for Johnny. "So, I left to go retrace his steps."

"And what did you find?" Nightwing asked

"The last place he was, was here in Shadowcrest. I've brought him here before and his favorite place here was the library, so I thought he must have left something there. He did."

Johnny snorted, "Some help that was. It was just a note that 3 books, and only two of them we have here."

"What books?" Nightwing asked.

"Nothing you would know." Zatanna said with a wave of her hand. "They only talked about types of demons, but none seemed to be the one were dealing with right now."

"If we're even dealing with a demon at all." Johnny added.

"And what of the last book?" Nightwing asked.

"I can't find it anywhere. Magic text is funny like that, it will hide itself sometimes." She answered with a shake of her head. Nightwing groaned and put a hand on his head.

"So we don't know anything more than we did before."

"Keep faith, Nightwing. I'm sure Batman and Robin will get something from the League of Assassins." Starling said. Both Nightwing and Staring turned to Zatanna and the young Johnny. "Thanks for help, Zatanna."

"Call us if you find anything else out." Nightwing looked evenly at the two. "Also try not to take off again. We found you before, and it'll be easier next time." Leaving it there, Nightwing and his young protégé began to take their leave as a scream came from outside. Johnny ran to the the window.

"It's a girl, some guys are chasing her." Johnny looked back to see both masked heroes gone from their positions in front of the door.

"Their already outside." Zatanna answered his unspoken question. "Let's go." Without another word to the young boy Zatanna ran out to meet Nightwing and Starling with Johnny trailing behind her. By the time they got their Nightwing and Starling were nowhere to be found.

Johnny looked around, and with sad eyes turned to Zatanna, "Do you think-"

"Boo." Johnny jumped and almost screamed only to have his mouth covered by a gloved hand belonging to Starling. "Don't scream." She told him before releasing his face. "Sorry, didn't think you would actually scream."

Johnny glared at the girl, "We thought you were taken like the rest of them." Starling raised an masked eyebrow.

"We just met. Didn't think you cared that much." She turned to Zatanna, "Is this place still cloaked? Nightwing's already back inside."

Zatanna nodded, "Yes, it is. Why?"

Starling didn't say anything only stare out into the darkness of the thin woods, "Someone's here. I can hear their heartbeat." Johnny stared at Starling with a confused look. She tapped her ear. "I have a hearing enhancer." She said almost a little too quickly. "People are here. Most likely the same ones who have been taking all of the people."

"So, that means we need to get out of here." Johnny said.

"No," Starling corrected, "that means we finally have a good lead."

* * *

"Nightwing." Starling called as she entered the room Zatanna and Johnny trailing behind her. "Did you get anything out of the girl yet."

Nightwing came out of the room closing the door behind him. "She refuses to talk to me. I don't know why I can't even get her to tell me who was chasing her."

"She's probably just scared of you." Zatanna answered "Bad people were chasing her and you did just kinda scoop her up and dump her in this house." Zatanna thought for a moment. "Why don't we send the kids to talk to her. Someone close to her age might give her some comfort."

Nightwing stared at the magician like she had two heads, "That is actually a great idea. Starling, you take Johnny in there, and find out anything this girl might know."

Starling was practically jumping with excitement, "It's been a while since we've had to do an interrogation! Please tell me we get to play 'Bad cop, Worse Cop'?"

"No, we don't want to scare her, or mentally scar her." He amended softly like there was nothing wrong with what she had just said. Meanwhile, Johnny now gawked at Starling like she had lost her mind. What middle school age girl ask if she can mentally scar a person through an interrogation? Zatanna didn't seemed at all fazed. "Just talk to her get all the information you can out of her. then come back here in about 5 minutes." Nightwing ordered.

Starling frowned obviously displeased with the lack of interrogating in this case, but nodded at what Nightwing said. "Fine, but that times going to be about three minutes if the people who are kidnapping people really the one's out there." She said in a singsong tone, not at all worried, as she grabbed Johnny by the arm and pulled him into the the room after her. Inside, sat the girl, dressed in a black hood, looking so familiar that Starling almost thought she knew the girl, but she couldn't quite place where. Her short, straight red hair that barely hung to her shoulders, and her eyes were of all colors violet. In all her years Starling never thought she would see a human with violet eyes. Then again, with the people she hung around it was a matter of time.

"I'm Starling, this is Johnny, how about we make this easier on all of us and get acquainted." She said with a smile. The girl didn't return the smile only now turn her would be heat vision glare onto Starling.

"Doesn't matter we're all dead anyway." She replied.

"What do you mean." Johnny said stepping forward.

"Like you all don't know." She mocked. Starling and Johnny turned towards each other giving one another a confused look.

"We really don't." Johnny said with a bit of impatience , "It would help us save your life quicker if you told us." The girl was now really looking at them, no longer glaring but giving them a concerned look.

"I thought the Heroes knew, I mean with so many of you missing you must have had to know that-"

"How about before you get into the long explanation of what the heck is going on you give us a name. I can't keep calling you girl in my head now can I?"

"My name isn't important."

"And I wasn't asking that. A name, now would be nice." Starling ordered.

I'm-" The girl hesitated "Ella, Ella Logan." She answered finally. Starling raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on her name. Ella Logan. Ella, Ella, Starling had heard that name before somewhere she was sure of it. She thought hard for a second, but didn't come up with any Ella's in the Bat-computer's files, or on the Justice League Database. Still, the girl's name struck a chord within her.

"Okay, Ella, Why don't you tell me what's going on while Johnny gets the adults. I'm sure it's a story they would love to hear." I said. Johnny nodded and headed out the door to retrieve Zatanna and Nightwing.

"Okay, I first found out about in all from this book." From her bag she pulled out the book in question, and behind Starling coming from the door there was a loud gasp.

"The book!" Zatanna almost said with glee. "Johnny, it's the book!" Zatanna snatched the book away from the girl's hands. This is from my library here!" Zatanna turned to the girl. "How did you get it!?"

"I found it in a trunk fill with a bunch of my mom's old stuff. It was the only thing that wasn't covered in dust. I took it with me when I came across my mothers old storage unit two week's back."

"Who was your mother?" Zatanna asked.

"Probably someone Constantine knew from his many, many journeys. " Nightwing said deflecting the question. "Now can you give us the cliff notes version of what the hell is going on." Nightwing ordered the young girl. It seemed the older masked vigilante's presences made the girl uneasy, as she answered him no problem.

"It's a demon called The Collector. He sends out powerful underlings called the Seekers in order to collect, well people, He collects rare and beautiful people."

"You're saying he took all those people to put on his shelf?" Johnny asked mortified.

"No," Ella shook her head. "He took all those people for a far worse reason. The natural magic located in a lot of humans is food for him, he's feeding himself with them in order to create his return. He was banished from the earthly plain eons ago, but with this much natural magic in the air, he's going to use it to bring about his return."

"So that's why he was stealing magic users at first." Zatanna said.

"And then switched to those with only a great magical potential."

" And what happens to the ones he deems fit for his collection." Asked Starling.

"It says, well I don't know how much of it is true, that he turns them into clay figurines, and sticks them on his shelf." Ella said with a shudder.

"Weird." Starling commented. "Does The Collector absorb everyone at once or each at a time little by little."

Ella thought for a moment, "According to the book, all at once. He needs a certain amount of Magical energy to raise again from the prison he was placed in."

"Good, that means the people he has taken are still alive." Zatanna released a sigh of relief.

"That means we need a plan to stop The Collector, and free all those people." Starling said. Nightwing nodded in agreement, while Ella looked completely horrified by the idea.

"Stop The Collector?" She repeated. "You can't stop The Collector. He is one of the most powerful demons in the underworld." Ella cried. "If you were smart, you would run, and keep running till someone deals with him."

"But that's just it." Starling said looking Ella in the eye. "Who's going to deal with The Collector if we don't." She said seriously. "We have a chance to stop him before he gets into power, then we won't waste it. You don't have to help. This place is safe until The Collector is gone, and then we'll take you wherever you won't to go. You're a civilian, we really weren't expecting you to help us anyway." Starling said coldly. Ella bit her lip, face turning red in embarrassment, and shame.

"Starling," Nightwing reprimanded.

Starling only shrugged her shoulders unapologetically, and said, "We have work to do. You have a plan by now, right, Nightwing?" The older vigilante gave his partner a disapproving look, but still answered.

"Yes, I do."

"Alright then let's hear it." Zatanna said.

* * *

Three hours later as the dawn lights hit Gotham City, three pre-teen kids walk down the tunnels leading to the mysterious City of Runaways. The boy is limping, and must lean on The girl with the dark mask covering her eyes. The other girl with red hair, and violet eyes that seem to almost glow in the dark, clutches what looks to be a book to her chest. The kids look like they've gone through one hell of a fight.

At the end of the tunnel is a group of about four people only slightly older than the kids themselves.

"Welcome back, Stella. I told you I'd be seeing you soon." Chris said leaning against the wall near the entrance.

"You knew." She said as she glared at the teenager. "You knew, and you said nothing."

"I'm a neutral, Stella, I can't tell you everything." The girl didn't respond only continue to glare at him

"Ella, Hold Johnny." She ordered the other girl as she charged at Chris with all her might, which wasn't much considering the state she was in. Chris easily blocked her punch.

"What are you doing?"

"This is all your fault!" Starling screamed in his grip. "Because you refused to tell us information we needed twelve hours ago, Nightwing and Zatanna are gone! And The Collector is going to take over the world! All because of you and your selfish rules!" Tears began to fall. "I hope you're happy, because not only am I going to lose Stephanie, but Zatanna and Nightwing are gone, too! My dad is gone, and now the rest of the world is doomed."

* * *

_Final Word Count: 7267 (sorry about that) _

_I know, I know. It's been awhile. Like over month while. So sorry, but I did mention that with school getting back in session I would be a lot slower than my weekly/biweekly updates. I will try to make the wait between chapters shorter, but with my schedule the way it is I can't say it isn't a possibility that the wait won't be this long or longer again. So thank you all for those who stick with me! It makes me smile to know that you all read. _

_Other news, this is only half of the chapter. Like I said last chapter another ~15000 word chapter is never going to happen again, unless necessary. This chapter needed to be cut in Half and this was the half point for me to get this chapter to you all sooner than if I had waited to finish it. There is still about 10,000 words left for this two parter which is why I cut it here. I don't want to torture you all with a 17000 word chapter(I would die if I gave you guys that like legit die from embarrassment). Also I changed the chapter title, This chapter was originally supposed to be sweet and cute, yeah it turned dark real fast, needed a name change. _

_To my favorite Reviewer, Victory Goddess, Thank you for all your support. _

_Also extra points for anyone who knows who figures out who Ella actually is. ( I practically gave it to you). Until next time, _

_~Miyu Kuran _

_Next chapter: The Missing Part 2 _


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